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The $132 million reason the Seahawks traded DK Metcalf to the Steelers

DK Metcalf gets to take on his old team on Sunday.

The former Seattle Seahawks star wide receiver is now on the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they'll clash in Week 2.

It's still pretty fresh that Metcalf was moved from the Pacific Northwest all the way to Pittsburgh, and Metcalf is surely still getting used to his surroundings.

But the physically imposing WR has a chance to be a hugely influential piece for the Steelers, and one that the Seahawks might wind up missing greatly.

Here's how it got to this point.

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DK Metcalf trade details

The deal in March 2025 looked like this:

Steelers get: WR DK Metcalf
Seahawks get: 2025 second-round pick (No. 52), seventh-round pick (No. 223), sixth-round pick flip

Why did the Seahawks trade DK Metcalf to the Steelers?

The Seahawks didn't want to pay DK Metcalf the money he wanted in a new contract extension.

That money ended up being four years and $132 million of new money, along with an $18 million raise on his 2025 salary, according to Pro Football Talk.

Seattle has Jaxon Smith-Njigba coming into his own as a potential No. 1 wide receiver. Metcalf wasn't a bad luxury to have, but he wasn't helping the Seahawks in the same way he once did.

That led Seattle to move on for a decent draft pick haul. They would go on to sign Cooper Kupp as a de facto replacement for DK.

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Why did the Steelers trade for DK Metcalf?

The Steelers saw an opportunity. They knew they potentially wanted to move on from George Pickens (who they eventually traded to the Cowboys), but they couldn't do that without a different WR1 in town.

Pittsburgh pulled off the trade to get a top wideout for eventual free agent signing Aaron Rodgers.

The Steelers didn't want to pay Pickens, but they were perfectly happy to pay Metcalf in the same offseason that also included a huge contract for T.J. Watt.

Now it's up to Metcalf to prove that he's worth every penny.

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