The Seattle Seahawks have moved on from DK Metcalf, but the receiver surfaced 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 didn’t just have 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 emotional moment that brought back a well-known 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 didn’t phase him.
Aaron Rodgers found Metcalf for several of Pittsburgh’s biggest gains as the Steelers tried to erase a 24-10 fourth-quarter deficit. Rodgers 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 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 traded Metcalf to Pittsburgh in March 2025 following his six-year run with the organization. The Seahawks received the No. 52 overall pick and a seventh-rounder to send 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 principal attraction of Pittsburgh’s receiving corps, but his first three games of 2026 produced a relatively silent start.
Thursday divulged the opposite.
Metcalf stretched the field to creat chunk plays and became the focal point of a late comeback attempt.
Seattle is well into its next chapter at receiver, but his TNF performance brought flashbacks to what Metcalf looked like at his best in a Seahawks uniform.
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