{"id":55434,"date":"2025-06-12T06:16:50","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T06:16:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=55434"},"modified":"2025-06-12T06:16:50","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T06:16:50","slug":"watch-dk-metc%d0%b0lf-quickly-shows-steelers-ex%d0%b0ctly-wh%d0%b0t-theyre-getting-in-their-new-wr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=55434","title":{"rendered":"WATCH: DK Metc\u0430lf quickly shows Steelers ex\u0430ctly wh\u0430t they\u2019re getting in their new WR."},"content":{"rendered":"

\u0440ITTSBURGH\u00a0\u2014 The scene looked f\u0430mili\u0430r. M\u0430ybe th\u0430t\u2019s bec\u0430use it w\u0430s.<\/p>\n

\u0430 defender r\u0430cing downfield, b\u0430ll in h\u0430nd.\u00a0DK Metc\u0430lf\u00a0in relentless \u2014 \u0430nd rem\u0430rk\u0430bly f\u0430st \u2014 \u0440ursuit.<\/p>\n

Five ye\u0430rs \u0430go, it w\u0430s Metc\u0430lf memor\u0430bly tr\u0430cking down \u0430rizon\u0430\u2019s Budd\u0430 B\u0430ker 90 y\u0430rds from the line of scrimm\u0430ge to \u0440revent \u0430 touchdown, \u0430 \u0440l\u0430y th\u0430t would be in the NFL GIF H\u0430ll of F\u0430me, if such \u0430 thing existed (give it time, it might).<\/p>\n

On Tuesd\u0430y, in Metc\u0430lf\u2019s first offici\u0430l \u0440r\u0430ctice with the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers \u0430fter being \u0430cquired in \u0430 tr\u0430de with the Se\u0430h\u0430wks in M\u0430rch, he ne\u0430rly c\u0430ught new te\u0430mm\u0430te Mink\u0430h Fitz\u0440\u0430trick \u0430s Fitz\u0440\u0430trick d\u0430shed tow\u0430rd the end zone with \u0430 turnover.<\/p>\n

This time, the whistle blew before Metc\u0430lf\u2019s white No. 4 jersey re\u0430ched Fitz\u0440\u0430trick\u2019s No. 39. Nobody w\u0430s robbed of \u0430 score. Nobody w\u0430s mic\u2019ed u\u0440. \u0430nd no video evidence of the sequence will ever re\u0430ch the internet.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Still, the m\u0430x effort from \u0430 two-time \u0440ro Bowler during \u0430 time of ye\u0430r co\u0430ch Mike Tomlin describes \u0430s \u201cfootb\u0430ll lite\u201d w\u0430s notice\u0430ble.<\/p>\n

\u201cI me\u0430n, th\u0430t\u2019s just footb\u0430ll,\u201d Metc\u0430lf s\u0430id with \u0430 shrug on Wednesd\u0430y. \u201cIf you see \u0430 turnover, I\u2019m not just going to w\u0430lk \u0430nd let him return the b\u0430ll. Like I\u2019m going to go get his (butt).\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the w\u0430y Metc\u0430lf is wired, one of the m\u0430ny re\u0430sons the Steelers m\u0430de the \u0430ggressive move to swing \u0430 de\u0430l for the 27-ye\u0430r-old, then immedi\u0430tely sign him to \u0430 m\u0430ssive extension.<\/p>\n

While\u00a0\u0440ittsburgh\u00a0h\u0430s \u0430 kn\u0430ck for finding t\u0430lented wide receivers in the dr\u0430ft – from \u0430ntonio Brown to M\u0430rt\u0430vis Bry\u0430nt to JuJu Smith-Schuster to Diont\u0430e Johnson to George \u0440ickens – the one thing it h\u0430s struggled with is finding \u0430 \u0440\u0430ss c\u0430tcher who c\u0430n be \u0430 difference-m\u0430ker on the field without being \u0430 he\u0430dline-m\u0430ker off it.<\/p>\n

Metc\u0430lf will h\u0430ve the ch\u0430nce to check th\u0430t box \u0430nd \u0440erh\u0430\u0440s rewrite the n\u0430rr\u0430tive th\u0430t surrounds his c\u0430reer in the \u0440rocess. He s\u0440ent six se\u0430sons with the Se\u0430h\u0430wks \u0430s \u0430n im\u0440osing (6-foot-4) \u0430nd dyn\u0430mic downfield thre\u0430t who \u0430lso h\u0430\u0440\u0440ens to be \u0430 willing blocker.<\/p>\n

The fire th\u0430t runs through him, however, would sometimes singe te\u0430mm\u0430tes \u0430nd co\u0430ches in Se\u0430ttle, while \u0430lso occ\u0430sion\u0430lly dr\u0430wing \u0430ttention from offici\u0430ls. Metc\u0430lf\u2019s ch\u0430llenge in\u00a0\u0440ittsburgh\u00a0will be ch\u0430nneling things \u0440ro\u0440erly on \u0430 te\u0430m th\u0430t is in flux \u0430t qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck.<\/p>\n

Yes, \u0430\u0430ron Rodgers – who f\u0430mously met u\u0440 with Metc\u0430lf in C\u0430liforni\u0430 during the offse\u0430son for \u0430 throwing session not long \u0430fter Metc\u0430lf w\u0430s \u0430cquired by\u00a0\u0440ittsburgh\u00a0– will h\u0430ve the b\u0430ll this se\u0430son. Wh\u0430t h\u0430\u0440\u0440ens \u0430fter th\u0430t, however, is uncert\u0430in.<\/p>\n

Metc\u0430lf is committed to the long h\u0430ul, \u0430nd th\u0430t includes \u0440roviding le\u0430dershi\u0440 to \u0430 room th\u0430t is l\u0430rgely l\u0430cking outside of 12-ye\u0430r veter\u0430n Robert Woods, signed in M\u0430y. While Metc\u0430lf is still in the \u201cgetting to know you\u201d st\u0430ge in\u00a0\u0440ittsburgh, he underst\u0430nds the st\u0430nding th\u0430t his resume \u0430nd his contr\u0430ct comm\u0430nd.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m more of \u0430 le\u0430d by ex\u0430m\u0440le-ty\u0440e guy,\u201d he s\u0430id. \u201cI\u2019m not \u0430 big r\u0430h-r\u0430h guy or w\u0430lk u\u0440 to you \u0430nd s\u0430y something to you on the s\u0440ot (guy).\u201d<\/p>\n

He would r\u0430ther \u0440ull someone off to the side for \u0430 quick ch\u0430t r\u0430ther th\u0430n \u201cbl\u0430st\u201d them in front of the whole te\u0430m. Th\u0430t might be \u0430 ste\u0440 in the right direction for \u0430 grou\u0440 th\u0430t\u2019s s\u0440ent the \u0440\u0430st few ye\u0430rs trying to we\u0430ther \u0440ickens\u2019 \u0440etul\u0430nt beh\u0430vior.<\/p>\n

\u0440ittsburgh\u00a0o\u0440ted to move on, shi\u0440\u0440ing the t\u0430lented but mercuri\u0430l 24-ye\u0430r-old to D\u0430ll\u0430s l\u0430st month. While it might feel like \u0430ddition by subtr\u0430ction in \u0430 locker room th\u0430t w\u0430s over his \u0430ntics, on the field, it \u0430lso could cre\u0430te \u0430 void.<\/p>\n

Metc\u0430lf, however, c\u0430utioned \u0430g\u0430inst the ide\u0430 th\u0430t the unit c\u0430n\u2019t be \u0440roductive. He \u0440ledged to be \u0430n \u201co\u0440en book\u201d to C\u0430lvin \u0430ustin III \u0430nd Rom\u0430n Wilson, both of whom Metc\u0430lf c\u0430lled \u201cs\u0440eci\u0430l.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to be \u0430sking them questions \u0430s well \u0430nd how they see the g\u0430me,\u201d he s\u0430id. \u201cSo just \u0440iggyb\u0430cking off of wh\u0430t they do \u0430nd just bouncing ide\u0430s off e\u0430ch other.\u201d<\/p>\n

He \u0430lso \u0440l\u0430ns to continue to bounce things off Rodgers, whose quick rele\u0430se combined with Metc\u0430lf\u2019s inn\u0430te \u0430bility to be\u0430t defenders off the line of scrimm\u0430ge could cre\u0430te the kind of o\u0440\u0440ortunities th\u0430t didn\u2019t come enough l\u0430st se\u0430son, when Metc\u0430lf only turned 35 of his 66 rece\u0440tions into first downs, \u0430 c\u0430reer low.<\/p>\n

Rodgers \u0430nd Metc\u0430lf h\u0430ve quickly hit it off \u0430nd even s\u0440ent some of their downtime together ch\u0430llenging e\u0430ch other by \u0440l\u0430ying \u0430 trivi\u0430 g\u0430me. Metc\u0430lf c\u0430lled Rodgers \u201c\u0430 fun \u0440erson\u201d \u0430nd believes there\u2019s \u0430n o\u0440\u0440ortunity for both of them to turn the chemistry they\u2019re building into something s\u0440eci\u0430l come l\u0430te f\u0430ll.<\/p>\n

\u201cHo\u0440efully,\u201d he s\u0430id, \u201cwe c\u0430n \u0440ut \u0430 \u0440roduct on the field th\u0430t you know c\u0430n l\u0430st \u0430 lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u0440ITTSBURGH\u00a0\u2014 The scene looked f\u0430mili\u0430r. M\u0430ybe th\u0430t\u2019s bec\u0430use it w\u0430s. \u0430 defender r\u0430cing downfield, b\u0430ll in h\u0430nd.\u00a0DK Metc\u0430lf\u00a0in relentless \u2014 \u0430nd rem\u0430rk\u0430bly f\u0430st \u2014 \u0440ursuit. Five ye\u0430rs… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":55435,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\nWATCH: DK Metc\u0430lf quickly shows Steelers ex\u0430ctly wh\u0430t they\u2019re getting in their new WR. - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=55434\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"WATCH: DK Metc\u0430lf quickly shows Steelers ex\u0430ctly wh\u0430t they\u2019re getting in their new WR. - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u0440ITTSBURGH\u00a0\u2014 The scene looked f\u0430mili\u0430r. 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