Metcalf seemed to max out in Seattle, finishing with 967 to 1,114 receiving yards each of the last four seasons, following the perhaps-false promise of a 1,303-yard, 10-TD effort in 2020, his second pro season. The respect he demands as a deep threat has real-life value beyond what his stats show, but there's always been slight disappointment for fantasy owners, with Metcalf never topping 8.3 targets per game and typically averaging closer to 7 or 7.5. Even the touchdowns have fallen off, with Metcalf scoring 19 in Geno Smith's three full seasons as Seattle's QB, compared to 29 TDs over the final three years of the Russell Wilson era. A change of scenery seems like a good thing at first glance, especially after the Steelers traded George Pickens, except that Metcalf's new situation in Pittsburgh may be worse for receiving production than the one he just left, featuring run-first offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and either 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers under center. The Steelers are also traded for TE Jonnu Smith, who had 111 targets last season for Miami. It feels like Metcalf still has another level to reach, given his unmatched physical attributes and lack of obvious flaws, but the same was true each of the last three seasons and it never materialized. The most likely outcome is yet another season of the 27-year-old producing at an above-average level by most standards while still falling shy of what seems possible for a player who is simultaneously one of the largest and fastest players at his position.
