At the dawn of the new NFL season, the Pittsburgh Steelers made waves by acquiring wide receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks and locking him into a lucrative five-year, $150 million contract. The intricacies of this contract, essentially a four-year extension, were revealed by Pro Football Talk on Thursday.
Metcalf’s updated deal lays out base salaries stretching from 2025 to 2029, starting at $5 million and spiking to $30.5 million. He pocketed a considerable $30 million signing bonus, divulged by Mike Florio. Additionally, his contract features roster bonuses in its last three years, notably $6.5 million followed by two $5 million bonuses.
The cap hit for Metcalf from 2025 through 2029 is set to increase progressively: $11 million, $31 million, $32.5 million, $34 million, and finally $41.5 million. This adjustment means his 2025 cap hit has been trimmed by over $7 million, reflecting the terms of the new agreement.
According to prior reports, Metcalf’s contract offers solid security, with his pay fully guaranteed for the first two years. Furthermore, there’s an interesting detail regarding the 2027 season: his $20 million base salary carries a guarantee solely against injury.
From a cash perspective, Metcalf is looking at $60 million from the Steelers by the end of 2026. The total “new money” across the agreement sums up to $131,999,529, factoring in his previous 2025 earnings projections of $18,000,471 before this fresh deal was inked.
When drilled down, the new average salary per year for Metcalf hovers just under $33 million, precisely $32,999,882.
This move marks a strategic pivot for Pittsburgh, finalized just before free agency. The Steelers traded a second and seventh-round pick in the 2025 draft to Seattle for Metcalf and a 2025 sixth-round selection. With the aim of bolstering their offensive lineup, Metcalf is anticipated to be a game-changer within the team’s passing attack.
As for his jersey, Metcalf will proudly represent the Steelers wearing No. 4. This is a special gesture from the team, as they rarely allocate single-digit numbers to players outside the quarterback or specialist roles, highlighting Metcalf’s exceptional status.
Here’s a year-by-year breakdown of Metcalf’s contract figures.
[The image displaying the contract breakdown would be here]
