Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Seahawks offense miss Steelers’ DK Metcalf
Leonard Williams knew DK Metcalf was different, was his kind of guy, the first week he joined Metcalf’s Seahawks a couple years ago. It was midseason in late October 2023. Williams arrived in Seattle in a trade from the New York Giants.
“I loved being around him,” the veteran Pro Bowl defensive end said of the star wide receiver. “I love offensive guys who get along with defensive guys. I think that’s just rare. A lot of times you see offensive guys hang out with each other, and defensive guys hang out with each other.
“We always said that he was welcome to the dark side.
“I thought he was a great teammate.”
Not anymore.
Metcalf is a Pittsburgh Steeler. In search of a richer contract, he got one in March in a trade from the only NFL team the six-year veteran had known.
Sunday in Pittsburgh, Williams, Metcalf’s protege Jaxon Smith-Njigba and their Seahawks (0-1) play Metcalf, his new quarterback Aaron Rodgers and their Steelers (1-0). It’s a 10 a.m. game on FOX television, channel 13 locally.
Smith-Njigba has become “The Man” with the Seahawks at wide receiver with Metcalf gone, plus Tyler Lockett cut for salary-cap savings and now a Tennessee Titan. Smith-Njigba caught nine passes on 13 targets for 124 yards from new quarterback Sam Darnold in their first game together last weekend. The Seahawks lost their opener at home to San Francisco 17-13.
Seattle’s new main man misses the departed one. Metcalf showed Smith-Njigba how to be an NFL receiver when the Seahawks drafted JSN in the first round out of Ohio State in 2023.
The News Tribune asked Smith-Njigba this week what he misses most about Metcalf.
“Just having DK around,” he said. “A great guy, a friend, you can always talk to him and get advice.
“That’s my guy.”
Smith-Njigba said Metcalf taught him the key to success on Sundays is what he does from Monday through Saturday.
“I respected his approach to the game,” Smith-Njigba said. “What he did off the field to prepare and to make sure he was ready for game days is something that I took from him.”
This week in Pittsburgh, Metcalf’s new Steelers quarterback said he sees the same thing Smith-Njigba did in Seattle with Metcalf.
“He’s about the right stuff,” Rodgers told Brooke Pryor of espn.com and other reporters in the Steelers locker room. “He cares about it enough to watch the film and put in the time and take notes and ask questions and come over and sit next to me during the week. ...
“That’s unfortunately not the standard around the league.”
On Sept. 15, 2019, Metcalf caught his first NFL touchdown pass, from Russell Wilson, in their Seahawks’ win over Pittsburgh in the Steelers’ home opener.
Six years later, before he plays for Pittsburgh against Seattle in a Steelers home opener, Metcalf downplayed this reunion.
“Y’all gonna make it a big deal,” the 27-year-old native of Oxford, Mississippi, told reporters in Pittsburgh, “but I’m not.”
Missing DK Metcalf
The Seahawks miss Metcalf more than just Smith-Njigba missing his mentor.
When Metcalf told them in March, entering the final year of his contract, he wanted to explore new teams, Macdonald and general manager John Schneider decided to quickly pivot to seeking a trade. The Steelers obliged by giving the Seahawks a second-round draft choice.
Pittsburgh then gave the two-time Pro Bowl receiver a four-year, $132 million deal with $60 million guaranteed. They are paying him $35 million this year.
Macdonald and Schneider knew they were creating a void by trading Metcalf. Macdonald had pitched to new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak upon hiring him this offseason getting to scheme plays for the uniquely physical, fast wide receiver. “’ll tell you this: We talked. Every candidate had an idea how we’re going to use DK definitely at the top of their mind,” Macdonald said this winter.
Kubiak glowed upon arrival about walking into an offense with Metcalf.
“Down-the-field threat. Strong, physical player. Extremely excited about getting to work with him, and his physical presence,” Kubiak said in February. “Brings a lot, can bring a lot, to our offense.”
Weeks later, the third receiver in NFL history to have five consecutive 900-yard receiving seasons with five touchdowns to begin a career (with Randy Moss and A.J. Green) was gone.
The Seahawks signed Cooper Kupp, the 32-year-old former Super Bowl MVP with the Rams, in free agency to backfill. They signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling onto his fourth team in three years to fill Metcalf’s old role of X receiver and down-field threat. Kubiak coached Valdes-Scantling in New Orleans last season.
Seattle drafted Tory Horton in the fifth round in May. He had knee surgery in October that ended his college career at Colorado State three months early.
Horton beat out Valdes-Scantling in training camp. The Seahawks cut Valdes-Scantling late last month.
In their opening loss to the 49ers last weekend, Kupp had two catches for 15 yards. He failed to get up field the 1 yard he needed for a first down late in the fourth quarter with the game tied. The Seahawks settled for a short field goal. The 49ers answered with the winning touchdown. Kupp also stumbled and had a pass from Darnold go off his hands.
Horton played the majority of the offensive snaps, 28 of 52. Yet Darnold didn’t throw to him once. Horton often ran deep with Smith-Njigba and Kupp primary targets underneath him.
Darnold made Smith-Njigba his target on 13 of his 23 throws. Darnold finished with just 150 yards passing. The Seahawks converted only 3 of 10 third downs. They lost to the 49ers yet again.
Smith-Njigba realizes the Seahawks must spread the ball around more — like they did when Metcalf was on the team and Smith-Njigba tied Lockett’s Seattle record with 100 catches last season.
“Definitely,” Smith-Njigba said. “The more we can use everybody, the tougher we’re going to be. And we know that. We’re going to get more opportunities for those guys to do their thing because we have a lot of weapons.
“I’m excited for us to get another chance, another game under our belt, and really prove that.”
Defending DK Metcalf
Rodgers threw to Metcalf seven times in their first game together. Metcalf caught four of them, for 83 yards, in Pittsburgh’s 34-32 win at the New York Jets last weekend.
They connected for 31 yards on a bubble screen. Metcalf used his near-Olympic sprinter speed to zoom past six Jets on that play from the line of scrimmage into Jets territory.
This week is the first time the Seahawks get to experience what the rest of the NFL has the previous six seasons: How to defend the 6-foot-4, 229-pound wide receiver with 4.33-second speed in the 40-yard dash (the fastest ever recorded at the league scouting combine for a player over 225 pounds) who can jump over 40 inches to go get passes over tight coverage?
Coach Mike Macdonald doesn’t have any Seahawks defensive players who are 6-4, 229 with a 4.33 40 and 40 1/2-inch vertical leap. No one does.
Then again, no team knows Metcalf’s weaknesses, and potential volatility during games, like the Seahawks do. Macdonald and Seattle are likely to do what the rest of the NFL did to Metcalf the Seahawk: Bracket him with coverage short using a cornerback close, with a safety lurking deep over the top.
“The things that he does well are the things that they’re doing with him, which is great,” Macdonald said. “It’s runaways. It’s outside-lane throws. All the routes that he runs well, he’s running those routes.
“Frankly, it’s similar to the stuff we did with him last year.
“We have to be ready for everything, right? They’re allowed to put him anywhere they want. He’s allowed to run any route that they call for him.”
This story was originally published September 11, 2025 at 8:11 AM.
