Will DK Metcalf Put Up The Professional Bowl Numbers Steelers Waited For From George Pickens?

Will DK Metcalf put up the Pro Bowl numbers the Steelers waited to see from George Pickens?

After trading for DK Metcalf, the Steelers traded George Pickens, who thought he was a Pro Bowler despite the numbers saying otherwise. In three years, he has one 1,000-yard season with four touchdowns per year. Though he missed three games, last season, he only scored three. He also dropped more balls than ever, and his target success rate dropped, too.

That’s not to say that George Pickens isn’t very talented or that he won’t make the Pro Bowl in Dallas. But the Steelers never got that Pro Bowl production from him, so will they from DK Metcalf? That’s a big part of the reason they traded for him, obviously, considering the cost.

Remember, the Steelers gave up a second-round pick for Metcalf, then signed him to a $150 million contract. Even on his best behavior, I don’t think they were close to offering such a deal to Pickens. He just didn’t have the production or consistency that justified it.

Sure, there is a lot of blame to go around. Pickens had Kenny Pickett and Matt Canada for most of his career, while DK Metcalf had a younger Russell Wilson and then Geno Smith. Generally speaking, Metcalf has had more advantages than has Pickens, and that’s fair. Pickens had some of his best games in his brief time with Wilson last year, after all.

But this really isn’t about comparing Pickens and Metcalf. This is just asking whether the Steelers will get the production from their No. 1 WR that they need. They didn’t get it from George Pickens. They think they will from DK Metcalf, given the price they paid for him. But whether they will or not is an entirely separate matter.

Last season, Metcalf missed two games, dealing with some injuries. He caught 66 passes for 992 yards and five touchdowns, and that’s a below-average season for him. For his career, on a 17-game average, he posts 77 catches for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns. Pickens hasn’t even had one season like that yet, let alone doing it regularly. But will Metcalf have that sort of year for the Steelers this season with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback?

The Steelers are rebuilding, or reloading, whatever they feel the need to call it, after another disappointment last season. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.

Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. While they ultimately traded George Pickens, they have other decisions to make. The 2025 NFL Draft class is now behind us, so most of the roster construction is complete.

But we still have a long offseason ahead for Steelers football, or football in shorts. At least we can finally put the Aaron Rodgers situation to bed and move on to other things. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and filling holes as we go.