It’s been a difficult few weeks for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf, as the 28-year-old returned with a stinker against the Houston Texans in the AFC Wildcard matchup after his two-game suspension. Metcalf could only produce two catches for 42 yards and had a critical momentum-shifting drop that cost the Steelers a chance to extend a 3-0 lead.

Now, rubbing salt in these wounds and highlighting his disappointing performance, Houston cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. trolled the Steelers WR1 on Instagram with a post captioned “major.”

Stingley Jr. posted a reversed version of a video that Metcalf had originally shared after his two-game suspension for a physical altercation with a Detroit Lions fan ended ahead of the playoffs. Metcalf’s original post featured comedian Druski coming out of prison before the Wildcard game against the Texans, but Stingley reversed the clip to highlight how he had locked up the Steelers star.

And the Houston cornerback was right, as DK Metcalf struggled to get going against him, as he was only targeted once after his drop in the late first quarter. It was second-and-10 from Pittsburgh’s own 44-yard line when Metcalf ran a corner route, slipping behind Derek Stingley Jr. as Aaron Rodgers’ pass hit him perfectly in stride, but Metcalf failed to hold on to the ball.

After this missed opportunity, the Steelers punted the ball two plays later, and then the Texans marched 92 yards down the field to take a 7-3 lead, which they maintained throughout the game. The disappointed wide receiver reflected on his performance in his post-game media interaction.

“I mean, this sucked that we had to go out like this,” said Metcalf. “But we’re gonna watch the film and see what we can do better for next year. But, yeah, it’s tough right now.”

While these may seem like encouraging signs from DK Metcalf, the Steelers wideout continues to face criticism for his catching, with certain NFL legends calling out the 28-year-old after the defeat against the Houston Texans.

Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson call out DK Metcalf’s catching woes

DK Metcalf had an underwhelming season after joining the Pittsburgh Steelers via a trade from the Seattle Seahawks in March 2025. After missing two games because of suspension, Metcalf recorded 59 catches for 850 yards and scored 7 touchdowns in 15 games this season. Addressing this below-par year, The Nightcap podcast hosts, Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson, questioned the 28-year-old’s receiving skills because of the drop.

“He is not the natural catcher of football,” said Shannon Sharpe as Johnson concurred. “You can tell when a receiver is not a natural catcher of football. I mean, he is a receiver, yes, but he is not a natural. There’s a certain art to catching the ball. Some make it look easy. You gotta have great hands.”

The concerns are glaringly visible in DK Metcalf’s performance this season, as he had a 59.6% catch rate in 2025, catching 59 of 99 targets. This was lower than his 2022 (63.8%) and 2024 (61.1%) seasons. Further, these catching issues were more pronounced in critical situations, with a 52.0% catch rate on third and fourth downs compared to 62.2% on first and second downs, as per Summer Sports.

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With the offseason up ahead, the Steelers’ nation will hope that DK Metcalf can work on these issues and shut down these critics with a dominant performance in the 2026 season.