Steelers Have DK Metcalf's Price Tag Revealed As A Trade With Seattle Now Seems Unlikely

The Pittsburgh Steelers and General Manager Omar Khan have been aggressive in their pursuit of an upgrade at wide receiver over the last year or so. There was the Brandon Aiyuk-fiasco throughout training camp in 2024, and Pittsburgh also inquired with a few organizations around the trade deadline for guys like Christian Kirk, Adam Thielen, and Cooper Kupp. Nothing came to fruition aside from acquiring Mike Williams, but the Steelers will be looking to bring in a more impactful wide receiver during the 2025 offseason, and DK Metcalf fits that description.

Metcalf's future has been up in the air over the last year or so, as he has been visibly upset with the Seattle Seahawks on occasion. He officially requested a trade from the organization on Wednesday, and the Steelers should be considered a landing spot for the All-Pro. Metcalf won't be cheap, as Seattle would probably want a mixture of picks in the 2025 NFL Draft and something in the 2026 NFL Draft. NFL insider Dianna Russini was able to reveal the original asking price from the Seahawks in exchange for Metcalf.

It is important to keep in mind that this is the starting point. Every executive is going to over-ask when one of their star players initially goes on the market, however it is easy to say that a third and first-round pick is too much. The asking price will certainly go down as time moves on, as this was seen with Aiyuk ahead of the 2024 season and with Justin Fields when the Chicago Bears were shopping him. Chicago initially wanted a second-round pick, but the organization eventually had to settle for a conditional sixth-round selection.

In addition to forking over some draft capital in exchange for Metcalf, whichever team acquires him is going to have to make a serious financial commitment. This almost hurts his trade value, as the wide receiver wants a new deal and he will be worth roughly $30 million per season. 

The Steelers have the money to make something like this happen, but the organization isn't going to give up two premiere picks in the NFL Draft while also knowing it is going to have to sign Metcalf to large extension. Davante Adams was traded for a third-round pick during the 2024 season, so Seattle can probably get a third-rounder paired with a Day 3 selection since Metcalf is younger than Adams. 

The Seahawks are asking for too much, but that is expected as the trade request is very recent. There are plenty of teams that need help at wide receiver in the league, and Metcalf could be a prime target for teams like the Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, or Green Bay Packers.

Steelers Have Plenty Of Options To Reshape The Wide Receiver Room

A lot of the wide receivers the Steelers were interested in during the 2024 season are now available again heading into 2025. Kirk was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars, and although he is coming off of a serious injury, he should still be able to be productive. Kupp is actively being shopped by the Los Angeles Rams, and the team has clearly announced its plans to trade the wide receiver during the offseason. If a trade can't be found the organization will probably release the veteran.

Pittsburgh should have plenty of options during the 2025 offseason, so Khan has no excuses for not upgrading the wide receiver room moving forward.

What would you give up for Metcalf? Let us know in the comments below!

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