The expectations were sky-high, especially with quarterback Aaron Rodgers leading the offense. But that optimism has turned into intense scrutiny after the Steelers lost three of their last four games. From head coach Mike Tomlin to wide receiver DK Metcalf, almost everyone is under scrutiny. Former NFL player Trai Essex, however, believes there’s more to the Steelers’ struggles than what people see.

He argued that the team isn’t utilizing one of their top weapons, Metcalf, to his full potential.

“Whenever I would watch DK Metcalf playing Seattle, his best route that he ran over and over again that teams cannot stop because he’s just such a big body with a unique skill set was a slant,” Essex said. “Like he seemed to catch like three or four slants from Russell Wilson every game because they can’t stop that he’s great with run after the catch. Why don’t we run at least four or five slants for DK Metcalf, because it seems so many opportunities for that to happen?”

Even the former NFL player seemed to question why Metcalf hasn’t been using his go-to play. So, is the issue with the Steelers’ scheme and playcalling? That’s a debate for another time. What’s clear from Essex’s comments is that Metcalf was highly effective running slant routes during his time with the Seahawks.

Because of his size and strength, Metcalf becomes extremely difficult to bring down once he catches the ball on a slant. Under quarterback Russell Wilson, he frequently relied on either the slant or the fade route. Even Wilson has often praised him for his slant route.

 “DK’s a monster on the field,” Wilson said after Metcalf’s debut performance against the Cincinnati Bengals (Week 1) in 2019. “On the scramble drill, he made the contested slant route; he made the contested go ball. There’s a lot of things he can do. There’s nothing really that he can’t do.”

Metcalf has recorded 438 receptions for 6,324 yards and 48 touchdowns across his 97 games with Seattle. While the former player has shared his take, it’s ultimately up to the Steelers to decide whether they’ll make better use of Metcalf’s strengths. Until then, the wide receiver may continue to face criticism. In fact, his performance was recently called out by one of his teammate’s father.

Asante Samuel believes DK Metcalf is the problem

There’s growing dissatisfaction among the Steelers and their fans after the team lost (26-7) to the Buffalo Bills. Many have criticized that the 41-year-old quarterback clearly hasn’t looked like his old elite self, managing just 117 passing yards in the loss. While Asante Samuel Sr. criticized Aaron Rodgers, he also pointed out that Metcalf hasn’t been able to offer much help to the quarterback.

“He (DK Metcalf) is most of the problem,” he said.

“And DK Metcalf is the reason Aaron Rodgers is looking so old because he keeps trying to throw DK Metcalf the football, and he is not even getting the ounce of separation, especially when he’s going against press coverage. And as much as Aaron Rodgers still wants to win, man, he just doesn’t have the talent at receiver to make things happen.”

Metcalf’s targets have also reduced. Back in 2024, he was targeted 108 times across 15 games with Seattle. This season, he has been targeted just 75 times through 12 games. And it’s not just Rodgers and Metcalf. The entire offense struggled. It was limited to an embarrassing 7 points in the game.

So, it’s clear that it’s not only the players who need to improve. The scheme and overall offensive approach must also be better for the Steelers to succeed.