If this week ends Aaron Rodgersit will be difficult to ignore the fact that this was exactly the chess gambit that Pittsburgh Steelers decided to execute him in March last year.
Trying to move forward with purpose George Pickens – a talented but energetic player on whom Pittsburgh management no longer counted – the Steelers traded for DK Metcalf and quickly secured his spot with a four-year, $132 million extension. The commitment and purpose at the time was unmistakable: with sweeping changes at quarterback, the Steelers finally had an elite No. 1 wide receiver whose prodigious talent would be matched by responsibility and availability.
Advertising
More than eight months later, the maneuver collapsed on its own. And on Sunday, it could bury the last shots of Aaron Rodgers' career with it.
Essentially, that's what will be on the line when the Steelers make the tournament. Baltimore Ravens on Sunday evening. Barring a change of heart since June, when Rodgers said on “The Pat McAfee Show” that he's “pretty sure” 2025 will be his final season, this week in Steelers history carries the weight of an AFC North crown and a playoff berth — along with the potential of being a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
And that makes it hard to escape the reality that a loss to Baltimore would make Pittsburgh's fall the final domino in a chain reaction that began when Metcalf punched a fan during the Steelers' Week 16 win over the Steelers. Detroit Lions. The altercation led to Metcalf being suspended for the final two games of the season, effectively depriving him of a star guard who had been recognized as the reliable cornerstone that Pickens was not.
Quarrel D.K. Metcalf's relationship with a Lions fan this month cost him two games and more than half a million dollars. It could also cost the Steelers their season. (Photo by Nick Antay/Getty Images)
(Nick Antaya via Getty Images)
Of course, the team will do its best not to say all this about Metcalf. Even after disappointing loss to the Cleveland Browns which put the Steelers on the brink of elimination, fingers pointed in all directions. Pittsburgh's secondary is in trouble. The defense continues to feel the lack of a sharp defender. TJ Watt. tight end Darnell Washington lost the game with Cleveland due to a broken hand And Calvin Austin III dropped out with a hamstring injury. Head coach Mike Tomlin made several conservative decisions on fourth down in the fourth quarter, and the offense was accused of being overly concerned with keeping Brown's defensive end intact. Myles Garrett from setting the record for most sacks in a single season.
Advertising
[Get more Steelers news: Pittsburgh team feed]
Some, or perhaps all, of these arguments have merit. But what is absolutely undeniable is that Pittsburgh's offense missed Metcalf's presence more than any other player, especially in the final moments of a 13-6 loss when Rodgers capped a potentially game-winning play with a dunk. Marquez Valdes-Scantling three times in a row from Cleveland's 7-yard line. All three were unfinished. If Metcalf hadn't been disqualified, all three shots likely would have been thrown his way. And on the final drive, when it appeared that Valdes-Scantling may have drawn a pass interference penalty that wasn't called, it was likely that a player of Metcalf's caliber would have drawn the flag.
That's what Metcalf's absence means. His fallout in Detroit opened a hole that Pittsburgh can't fill.
And now? Well, the Steelers now face the Ravens in a game that exists to take advantage of the aggressive moves they made in March. This is the moment that led the Steelers to move on from Pickens and turn to Metcalf. This is what you trade draft picks and money for – to bring a star to the table and watch him eat. That's exactly what Metcalf did in Week 14 against the Ravens, when his seven catches for 148 yards gave the Steelers offense a motor that led to Rodgers' most efficient passing game this season. This included two explosive catches on receptions of 52 and 41 yards, which have not been seen much this season.
Advertising
Lest anyone forget, the 27-22 win over the Ravens awakened a 6-6 Steelers team whose fans just a week ago were chanting for Tomlin's work. It sparked a three-game winning streak that put Pittsburgh back in the AFC North driver's seat and the team back walks off the field after a 29-24 win over the Detroit Lions.. Only to be overturned by a terrible decision by Metcalf that could end up doing more damage to the franchise than any mistake Pickens ever made in his 50 games as a Steeler.
Now offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is grappling with that reality this week, with Cleveland's loss suggesting that Pittsburgh's other offensive pieces simply aren't good enough to collectively make up for Metcalf's absence. That leaves him free to find another way to creatively turn the key to an offense that doesn't suddenly turn it into a heavy attack with a parade of checks in the passing game, all in the hopes that the defense can create enough short fields or passing opportunities to score more than the measly 6 points they scored against the Browns.
Going back to an offseason where so much of what the Steelers did was based on putting all their chips into one season with Rodgers, it's an almost incomprehensible position to be in. But that's where Pittsburgh finds itself, while also having to consider that what happens Sunday night could be the final curtain for Tomlin, the coaching staff and perhaps some elements of the front office. Not to mention the quarterback who was hounded to put it all together before the suspension fell apart.
Advertising
Tomlin was asked this week if he thought Sunday might be the last game of Rodgers' career.
“I don’t know if I’ve taken the time to think about it,” Tomlin replied. “I just want to make sure that's not the case.”
That commitment began in March when the Steelers traded for Metcalf. Eight months later, it may be remembered as the defining decision that marked the beginning of the end of Rodgers' final season in the NFL and this Steelers era, which may go with him.
