In Week 1, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers bested his former club. In Week 2, it's DK Metcalf's turn to try when Pittsburgh hosts the Seattle Seahawks.
The veteran, however, isn't playing into the grudge match.
"Y'all are going to make it a big deal," Metcalf said this week, via the Associated Press. "I'm not."
The Seahawks traded Metcalf and a sixth-rounder to the Steelers for second- and seventh-round picks in March. The two-time Pro Bowler spent six seasons with Seattle, generating at least 900 receiving yards in every season. His 48 TD receptions rank fourth in franchise history.
"It's just another football game," Metcalf said.
Not providing bulletin board material for his former team is smart from Metcalf, who can let his play do the talking on Sunday.
In his first game with Rodgers, Metcalf earned four catches for 83 receiving yards, 73 of which came after the catch.
Rodgers didn't attempt a deep pass (20-plus air yards) in Week 1. Since 2019, Metcalf ranks in the top five in deep receiving yards (2,035, third in the NFL) and receiving TDs (19, T-fifth), per Next Gen Stats. Only Ja'Marr Chase (6) had more deep receiving TDs than Metcalf (5) in 2024.
We'll see if the 41-year-old QB gives his new teammate a deep shot against his former club.
The Seattle defense knows what type of weapon it faces on Sunday, but veteran cornerback Shaquill Griffin noted that they can't make Metcalf their entire focus.
"We're not sitting here just saying, 'We only want to game plan against DK because we want to get something out of it,'" Griffin said. "We're going to make the plays that we need to make against him. But, also, man, we're getting ready to try to get back on track and start getting these W's stacked up and getting that first win so we can make this run."
