The Pittsburgh Steelers completed a trade for Pro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf, and the Green Bay Packers reportedly never made an offer.
First things first: the details of the blockbuster trade. The Steelers sent a second-round pick to the Seahawks for Metcalf and then agreed to sign the receiver to a five-year, $150 million deal that averages $33 million in new money per year, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Media.
Did the Packers lose out on Metcalf, or were they merely spectators of the trade war?
According to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, the Packers “never” made an offer for Metcalf and a trade with the Seahawks was “never a realistic possibility.”
The Steelers held pick No. 52 overall in the second round, two spots ahead of the Packers at No. 54.
Given the price of doing business, it’s certainly possible the Packers never even considered a trade. Getting Metcalf required trading a premium draft pick and agreeing to make Metcalf one of the NFL’s highest-paid receivers. General manager Brian Gutekunst didn’t say he would never trade for a veteran player, but he acknowledged it would take a special type of player to spend draft capital and cap space on trading for a veteran.
The Packers might not have viewed Metcalf as special, but the fit was undeniably good. Metcalf could have helped replace the size and vertical speed of Christian Watson, who is expected to miss time during the 2025 season while recovering from last season’s torn ACL. Still only 27, Metcalf is a physically dominant player who would have fit a specific and important role in Matt LaFleur’s offense while also giving Jordan Love another playmaker in the passing game.
Instead, Metcalf will go to Pittsburgh, and the Packers will look elsewhere for help at receiver. On the eve of the legal tampering period, the Packers saw Davante Adams sign with the Los Angeles Rams and Metcalf go to the Steelers. It’s possible the Packers weren’t seriously in on either receiver, and they have different targets lined up for this offseason.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: DK Metcalf traded to Steelers, Packers never made offer to Seahawks
