The Seattle Seahawks have moved on from DK Metcalf, but the receiver offered a loud reminder Thursday night of the big-play ability he once brought to Seattle.
Metcalf turned in his best outing of the young season during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 27-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns, catching five passes for a game-high 115 yards on nine targets. The performance marked his first 100-yard game of 2026 and his first since December 2025.
It also represented a sharp turn from his opening three games. Metcalf had totaled just 98 receiving yards over that stretch, meaning he surpassed his entire season total entering Thursday in one night.
The Steelers’ official postgame breakdown called it a “vintage DK Metcalf performance”, with all five of his receptions moving the chains. His biggest grab was a diving 43-yarder that helped spark Pittsburgh’s fourth-quarter rally.
Metcalf Breaks Out After Quiet Opening Stretch
Metcalf’s night went beyond one deep catch.
He produced gains of 22 and 28 yards on Pittsburgh’s final touchdown drive and finished averaging 23 yards per reception. His 115 yards were easily a season high after his previous best of 40, via Fox Sports’ game notes.
Metcalf also had an early emotional moment that brought back another familiar part of his game.
After converting a first down in the first half, he tossed the football toward a Cleveland defender and drew a 15-yard taunting penalty. Metcalf later described the matchup as an “emotional game” and a divisional game when asked about the incident, according to Steelers.com.
The penalty did little to slow him down.
Aaron Rodgers found Metcalf for several of Pittsburgh’s biggest gains as the Steelers tried to erase a 24-10 fourth-quarter deficit. Rodgers ultimately finished 22-of-40 for 299 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, while Pittsburgh tied the game at 24 with 1:42 remaining.
Cleveland answered with a late drive, however, and Andre Szmyt drilled a 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds left. Grant Delpit intercepted Rodgers on Pittsburgh’s final play, sealing the Browns’ 27-24 victory.
Metcalf still walked away as Pittsburgh’s leading receiver and the only player in the game to crack 100 receiving yards.
Former Seahawks Star Revisits Old Form
The production lands well given Metcalf’s history in Seattle.
The Seahawks selected him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and he quickly became one of the franchise’s most productive receivers. Over six seasons in Seattle, Metcalf caught 438 passes for 6,324 yards and 48 touchdowns.
He eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards three times, made two Pro Bowls and earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2020. His 1,303 receiving yards that season remain the Seahawks’ single-season franchise record.
Seattle eventually traded Metcalf to Pittsburgh in March 2025 after his six-year run with the organization. The Seahawks received the No. 52 overall pick and a seventh-rounder while sending Metcalf and a sixth-round selection to Pittsburgh.
The Steelers then made a sizable commitment, signing Metcalf to a five-year deal worth $132 million.
That move made him the centerpiece of Pittsburgh’s receiving corps, but his first three games of 2026 produced a relatively quiet start.
Thursday offered the opposite.
Metcalf stretched the field, created chunk plays and became the focal point of a late comeback attempt. Seattle is well into its next chapter at receiver, but Thursday’s performance offered a flashback to what Metcalf looked like at his best in a Seahawks uniform.
For one night, the former Seattle standout looked very much like the player who once routinely tilted the field at Lumen Field.
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