DK Metcalf is starting the second phase of his NFL career after being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March. Seattle Seahawks General Manager John Schneider explained the timeline of the trade last week.
Seahawks GM John Schneider Details DK Metcalf’s Trade to Steelers
Schneider’s receiving room took a hit in talent after shipping off Metcalf, the team’s top wideout since he was selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Schneider opened up about the process this week.
“We’ve all been through negotiations,” Schneider said Wednesday on John Middlekauff’s podcast, “3 & Out.” “It gets really personal and you can say it’s not, but it is. It is. And so, in regards to DK, we had a ton of conversations last offseason about his legacy, where he wanted to go. He wanted to be here. Once he met the new coaching staff, he was excited. And then this year, it just happened again.
“You can’t change the way people think. As much as we love him and want to have him here, when people wanna leave, it’s difficult to try to convince them to stay.”
DK Metcalf’s 6,324 receiving yards since being drafted are the most of any Seahawks pass-catcher since 2019, according to Statmuse. His 48 touchdown catches and 726 targets also led the group during that stretch. From the sound of it, Schneider didn’t want to move on from the star wideout.
He said the two kept open communication for nearly a month and a half. Schneider asked Metcalf to give it some thought.
“Once we got back from the combine, we had another real open talk, and we told him we would concede to his wishes. No promises, but we’d see where it goes,” Schneider said. “Pittsburgh, Omar (Khan) and those guys were really aggressive.”
Metcalf was thrilled to land in the Steel City, especially after being offered a four-year, $150 million deal that cements him as a central piece of Arthur Smith’s offense.
“I felt ecstatic just to hear about the Steelers because I thought the meeting me and Coach Tomlin had at the 2019 (NFL) Combine, he just always spoke volumes into me and spoke of my play style in college, and just being in the league and going up to him before or after a game, he kept that same rapport with me,” Metcalf said during his introductory Steelers press conference. “It just felt like the right decision for me.”’
Now paired with recently signed quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Metcalf will look to continue his stellar play in a new city.