The Pittsburgh Steelers won’t have a lot of time to sightsee during their Ireland trip. That’s just fine with Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf.
The veteran wideout made clear to reporters Friday that he is in Dublin to play a football game — not take in a foreign country.
“I’m not trying to explore. I’m here for the football game,” Metcalf told the media, via Steelers Depot. “I’ll see everything on the flight in, flight out and drive to the stadium.
“I’m here to play football.”
Sunday will be Metcalf’s second career game in the NFL’s International Series. His former team, the Seattle Seahawks, played in Germany during the 2022 campaign.
The 2022 Seahawks–Tampa Bay Buccaneers showdown was the league’s first regular season game in Germany. Metcalf and the Steelers will make history Sunday with the NFL’s first regular season Ireland contest.
DK Metcalf All Business on Steelers’ Ireland Trip
Metcalf has yet to play in London, which a lot of NFL players have experienced at this point. But the receiver will have the extremely rare distinction of having played in both Germany and Ireland.
After Sunday, there will have only been five games total in the two countries combined. The NFL will have another Germany matchup, their first in Berlin, in November.
But Metcalf clearly isn’t in the mood to discover a new culture or take in any tourist attractions. As the saying goes, the receiver is treating the Ireland visit as a “business trip.”
That’s quite different from Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The veteran signal-caller said he would have preferred the team fly over Monday to have a complete off day Tuesday to explore.
Rodgers also shared with reporters Friday that he loves Guinness and has always wanted to visit Ireland.
That’s not to say Rodgers isn’t also focused on Sunday’s matchup. He’s just not against having a little fun after practice as Metcalf appears to be.
Steelers Need More From Metcalf
The top Pittsburgh wideout being all about business on the field isn’t a bad thing for the team. That’s especially the case with the Steelers offense needing more from Metcalf.
In the first three games this season, Metcalf has 10 catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns. That’s not nearly enough for a WR1 in today’s NFL.
Metcalf has made big plays at various times when targeted, mostly after the catch on wide receiver screens. But Metcalf has posted 3.3 receptions and 45 receiving yards per game.
If he finished the 2025 campaign with those totals, Metcalf would set new career lows in each category. He is also averaging just 13.5 yards per catch and 7.9 yards per target. Those both are the third-lowest in each category for his career.
The Steelers gave up a second-round pick and then agreed to pay $33 million per season through 2029 for Metcalf. The offense needs him to produce like a top wideout.
Metcalf’s lackluster statistics aren’t all his fault. Rodgers is ranked last in the league (among quarterbacks who have played at least 50% of their team’s snaps) in average depth per target. Metcalf is a dangerous receiver down the field, but he isn’t getting opportunities.
There could be multiple reasons why. At 41 years old, Rodgers doesn’t have the same arm strength he once did. But the Steelers also haven’t protected Rodgers very well.
Simply put, Rodgers hasn’t had a lot of time to deliver deep passes.
Head coach Mike Tomlin is also well known for conservative offensive game plans. The Steelers might not be utilizing Metcalf’s down field ability yet because of game planning.
Steelers’ DK Metcalf Fires Clear Message on Playing in Ireland