Former Steelers Cornerback Joe Haden Gave An Eye-Opening Message To DK Metcalf

In the 2025 offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers sent a second-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for star wide receiver DK Metcalf. So far, a season and a half into the experiment, it's been a disaster. At 6-2, the Steelers sit in first place in the AFC North during their bye week, and Metcalf has little to do with that. 

The Steelers' run game has taken off through the last four games, so they haven't been throwing like normal. Even when they do throw in Metcalf's direction, however, it's far from a guaranteed catch, even when the play looks routine. Given the wide receiver's contract, Aaron Rodgers has made it clear that Metcalf is still his top guy, and he'll keep targeting him. 

Along with the acquisition of Metcalf, General Manager Omar Khan inked him to a four-year, $132 million extension with $60 million guaranteed. He has massive cap hits in future years, which means he likely will be around for the foreseeable future regardless of how he performs.

Metcalf's poor play has sparked the question of whether Pittsburgh should look to trade the veteran. Recently, on Deebo & Joe, Joe Haden gave Steelers fans a very eye-opening message on the matter. He essentially said the Steelers are stuck with Metcalf and his contract. 

“How the hel* we gonna trade him? Everybody watching the same games we watching,” Haden said. 

The former Ole Miss standout has just 33 catches for 378 yards and one touchdown through eight games. He's been credited with six drops and is the 10th most-targeted wide receiver in the NFL. The passer rating when targeted might be the worst stat, with just a 69.4 rating, which is 68th in the NFL. His severe lack of production makes it impossible for the Steelers to deal with the wide receiver given his big cap hit. 

The Steelers gave Metcalf his money without him ever playing a snap for the team. They don't do that often, but it's clearly a bad business strategy. The issue is the guaranteed money: the Steelers gave Metcalf $60 million guaranteed, which is why the deal is immovable. Even though they could have voided it after his altercation with a fan in Detroit last season, they doubled down and kept everything in place. 

Metcalf has proven to be a big play threat in his career, and it's reasonable to expect that he can bounce back to some capacity this season. But it will be hard to justify making him one of the NFL's highest-paid wide receivers when he's never been that tier of player. 

Steelers' DK Metcalf Isn't Going Anywhere Anytime Soon

Even if Metcalf finishes the 2026 season on a high note, Pittsburgh will never be able to move him without eating significant dead cap. His cap hit will keep rising through 2029, when it will reach $47 million, which would be the highest in the NFL for wide receivers today. 

If a trade were to happen, the Steelers would have to eat a significant portion of his contract, which is the issue here. Traditionally, Pittsburgh does not pay coaches/players unless they are coaching or playing for the organization. A big reason why they don't fire coaches, or, in this case, move on from big-name players who clearly aren't playing, is their contracts. 

The Steelers have been breaking tradition in recent years when it comes to contracts, so they may want to move on. But Metcalf isn't a problem off the field and is still a very big part of the offense. He's been a huge reason the run game has been one of the best in the NFL, with his downfield blocking. 

So while Metcalf isn't putting up numbers this season, he's a more-than-willing blocker, which has proven to be a huge asset to the offense. 

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