DK Metcalf takes issue with NFL’s pay system following his $132,000,000 contract with Steelers - "Everyone on that field is devalued"

For DK Metcalf, the offseason will be different. The wide receiver changed teams in March. After six years, he asked to be traded from the Seattle Seahawks and landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, with whom he signed a five-year, $132 million deal.

Metcalf will now pair with George Pickens as they wait to discover who'll be the next quarterback for the Steelers. Nevertheless, he signed a long-term deal that earns him $30 million per year, putting him into the top 10 of the highest-paid wide receivers in football.

However, Metcalf thinks that the money should be better distributed in the league. When appearing on Marshawn Lynch's podcast, Metcalf defended that players who are not superstars in the NFL also deserve to sign better contracts.

"I think football as a whole is devalued in a wide picture. Football players as a whole are devalued, and people don’t understand the stress we go through week to week. They only see the plays we make on Sundays, not the offseason workouts and preparation it takes to play a 17-game season. Everyone on that field is devalued. The ones getting paid deserve it, but many others also deserve more. Hopefully, with the new CBA, we’ll see changes that make the NFL more player-friendly instead of just focusing on the salary cap," he said on Thursday [7:28].

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DK Metcalf reflects on his 'great' teammates with the Seattle Seahawks

During the same podcast with Lynch, with whom he shared the locker room in 2019, DK Metcalf also mentioned some of the 'great' recent players of the Seahawks.

"I had a chance to play with some great players, man. From Wilson to Bobby to Lynch, [Tyler] Lockett as well. Got a chance to meet some greats like Cam Chancellor, you know, Richard Sherman. But you know, it's just time for me to move on. I think the grass is greener on the other side," he said [04:59 onwards].

There might be an opportunity for another season with Russell Wilson, his quarterback from 2019 to 2021. Wilson played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024, and while he has not signed a new contract, he's still an option in case the franchise fails to land Aaron Rodgers in 2025.