DK Metcalf trade: How Steelers’ acquisition of Pro Bowl wideout may impact Pittsburgh quarterback situation

The NFL is a copycat league, and it appears that the Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to mimic the blueprint that the Philadelphia Eagles parlayed into a Super Bowl win last season. 

By acquiring DK Metcalf via a trade with the Seahawks, the Steelers now have a dangerous receiving duo similar to the one that resides in Philadelphia with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. To compete the plans, the Steelers just need to find their version of Jalen Hurts, which might very well be Justin Fields if Pittsburgh can re-sign him.

My theory is that the Steelers want to mimic the Eagles’ offense and they want to do so with Fields under center. Hurts and Lamar Jackson might be the preeminent running quarterbacks in the NFL, but Fields isn’t too far behind them. Fields, after all, finished with the second-most rushing yards in NFL history by a quarterback in just his second season in the league back in 2022. 

In the passing game, Fields showed marked signs of improvement as Pittsburgh’s starter last year. He had success throwing downfield, cut back dramatically on his interceptions — from nine to just one in 2024 — and routinely made tough throws in critical moments, including his game-winning touchdown pass to Calvin Austin III during the Steelers’ Week 3 win over the Chargers. 

They shouldn’t be confused with the Eagles’ offense yet, but the Steelers’ offense does have the potential to do some of the things Philadelphia does well. Fields can keep defenses honest with his mobility, and he has the ability to complete deep shots downfield, especially if his top receivers are Metcalf and Pickens. 

The Steelers’ also has budding stars on the offensive line, including a Pro Bowl guard in Isaac Seumalo and two promising rookies in center Zach Frazier and guard Mason McCormick. And don’t sleep on Pittsburgh’s productive tight end Pat Freiermuth and running back Jaylen Warren, who averaged 4.8 yards per carry during his first three seasons. 

The Steelers will undoubtedly add more weapons to their offense during free agency and in next month’s draft. Look for Pittsburgh to acquire a speedy back that is able to get to the edge via the draft, especially if Najee Harris departs in free agency. 

From a schematic standpoint, Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith employs a run-first offense that Fields took significant strides in during his first year in the system. Smith rewarded Fields with more freedom to call plays.

I believed Steelers president Art Rooney II when he said weeks ago that the team’s preference was to re-sign either Fields or Russell Wilson this offseason, and I believe the recent reports stating that Fields has the edge over Wilson and is the Steelers’ overall preference. This issues now are money and whether Fields actually wants to return to Pittsburgh. 

Publicly, Fields has said that he wants to return, but he reportedly wants some assurances that he’ll be the man if he does. It’s not hard to see why. The Steelers have played hot potato with their quarterbacks since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement. Fields experienced that last season, when he was benched for Wilson despite playing well and helping lead the Steelers to a 4-2 start. He barely saw the field after that despite Pittsburgh’s five-game losing streak to end the season. 

Fields wants to be regarded as a franchise quarterback, and he’ll likely be on his way out the door if a team treats him as such during the legal tampering period. That team may turn out to be the Jets, who reportedly have considerable interest in him. 

If I’m Fields, though, it would be hard to leave a situation like building in Pittsburgh. He would get a chance to play with two top-tier wideouts in system where he’s made signifiant strides. Plus, the Steelers are one of the most stable organizations in pro sports. If Fields truly wants to see how good he can be, it’s hard to fathom a better spot for him than Pittsburgh. 

But if Fields signs elsewhere, the acquisition of Metcalf should entice one of the other top-tier available quarterbacks to Pittsburgh. That list includes Wilson, who is close with Metcalf dating back to their years as teammates in Seattle, Sam Darnold and Aaron Rodgers. In this scenario, my assumption is that the Steelers would just prefer to re-sign Wilson given his knowledge of the Steelers’ offense, his skillset and his rapport with Metcalf. He may not be able to run the offense like Fields can, but Wilson still has some mobility as well as his patented “moon” ball. 

Should they wind up with an older veteran QB in 2025, look for the Steelers to select a quarterback during the draft. Under that plan, that rookie would likely watch and learn before possibly getting a chance to show what he can do in either 2026 or 2027. But there’s always the prospect of something happening that forces a rookie quarterback to start sooner rather than later. That’s actually how Roethlisberger’s career began when then-starting quarterback Tommy Maddox went down with an injury during the second week of Big Ben’s rookie season. 

While several scenarios are currently on the table, I believe that the Steelers’ preference continues to be re-signing Fields, with the ultimate goal of having a celebration like the one the Eagles had this past February.