Steelers rumored pursuit of wide receiver included Russell Wilson reunion

All of the NFL rumors before, during, and even after the 2024 NFL Draft concerning the Pittsburgh Steelers have been around a common theme: This team wants wide receiver help. That's why they've been connected to the 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk, and why they've also been mentioned as a possibility for any pass-catcher who could possibly be moved.

And that apparently includes one name that had not been previously mentioned, one who new Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson is quite familiar with: D.K. Metcalf.

Unpacking what the Steelers have been working on behind the scenes, NFL insider Benjamin Allbright noted that Pittsburgh has called multiple teams and has been turned down outright by two others. However, he also added specifically that the club called the Seattle Seahawks about possibly trading Metcalf, though Allbright noted that a move likely wouldn't be possible until after June 1.

Allbright also mentioned interest in Aiyuk and Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton.

NFL Rumors: Steelers called Seahawks about DK Metcalf trade

The mention of the post-June 1 possibility is crucial. Per Over the Cap, the Seahawks would save $17 million on the cap by trading Metcalf after that date but only $9.5 million if he were dealt prior to that. So this could very much be something to continue monitoring for both the Steelers and Seahawks.

Pittsburgh's tireless efforts to try and make a wide receiver trade, though, make a ton of sense. After dealing Diontae Johnson to the Panthers, George Pickens was Will Smith dot GIF looking around wondering where the other proven pass-catchers were in this offense. Drafting Roman Wilson out of Michigan in the third round will help that issue, but it's certainly not a cure-all for a team invested in seeing what they have in both Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields.

At the same time, though, Metcalf will come at a hefty cost and there are warranted questions about the fit. The Seahawks star is quite reminiscent of what Pickens brings to the table in terms of a downfield, vertical threat with a limited overall route tree. So perhaps there would be risk of redundancy that should be considered for a move that costs both draft capital and an expensive contract with Metcalf.

More so than just Metcalf -- though we can't fully discredit the possibility of that trade happening -- this further heightens the belief that the Steelers aren't done this offseason. They've been working the phones trying to make a trade relentlessly, and even more so than previously realized. Smart money would be to bet on Pittsburgh making a trade at some point before Week 1.

As this report would indicate, though, what that trade might look like for the Steelers could be anyone's guess.