The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for their Week 2 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. One player that should be eager to play his best in this game is wide receiver DK Metcalf, who will host his former team. He recently spoke about what it means to face the team that traded him a few months ago.
“It’s just another team on the schedule that just so happens to be playing the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Metcalf said, via the team’s website. “We’ve got to go out there and do everything that we can to try to win.” According to the wideout, there is “no extra juice this week.” Instead, it’s business as usual.
Seattle drafted Metcalf in 2019, and he became a household name in the NFL. However, in a shocking twist, he was traded to Pittsburgh for a second round and a seventh round pick. There, he signed a five-year extension.
Metcalf’s Steelers debut was very good
During Week 1, Metcalf was absolutely unstoppable. He caught four passes for 83 yards and created a couple of highlights in the process. One of them, he caught a deflected ball while already sliding on the turf.
Metcalf is the clear-cut number one receiver on the team. He also gives quarterback Aaron Rodgers an option to create harm on all levels. Metcalf is physical and strong to dominate on short level, but also is fast and explosive to dominate long, deep routes. He can do a bit of all.
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Is Metcalf missed in Seattle?
The fact that Seattle decided to move on from Metcalf was somewhat surprising. However, they did have a contingency plan. The team was happy to keep Jaxon Smith-Njigba and ‘promote‘ him to WR1 status. Since last year, he was taking leaps in prominence.
Also, the Seahawks signed Cooper Kupp, an NFL veteran to bring another receiver to their roster. Now, neither Smith-Njigba nor Kupp bring Metcalf’s skillset to life, they are very different receivers. If the Seahawks can’t find a new physical, deep threat, they will miss Metcalf, but the season needs to unfold to see if that’s the case.
