After a poor outing against the Cleveland Browns, DK Metcalf became the target of criticism from Antonio Brown, the former Steelers wide receiver who spent nine seasons in Pittsburgh. He constantly mocked the WR’s drops and criticized his catching ability.
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“Metcalf, okay, third down: drop,” Antonio Brown said in a video posted on X by Blitzburgh. “Metcalf, fourth down: drop. His hands don’t work. Metcalf, I like Ian Kenny and shit. Metcalf, Ian Kenny and shit. Metcalf across the middle: drop. Metcalf, y’all, the sideline: drop. Metcalf over here: drop. Metcalf, where’s the draw? Drop. Metcalf, the ball: drop.
“Everything drops with Metcalf. If I was dropping the ball like this, n**** would literally call the police.”
The turning point came in the third quarter. Metcalf got behind the defense, was wide open on a deep ball from Aaron Rodgers, and let it slip away. The drop became an interception for Denzel Ward.
The Steelers stopped them at the goal line, which kept their lead at 27-6, but the damage to Metcalf’s day was done. He finished with one catch on six targets for four yards.
Eric Samulski of NBC Sports described the miss in detail.
“This was not a great game for Metcalf,” Eric Samulski wrote. “He and Rodgers struggled to connect all day, and one of Metcalf’s drops was a near-40-yard pass that hit him square in the chest. The receiver simply dropped the ball and wound up hitting it forward directly into the cornerback’s hands. The good news is that Metcalf ran a route on every single dropback today, but he and his quarterback are not on the same page. Maybe the bye week will help, so don’t drop him yet.”
However, Rodgers already brushed off the concern regarding his and Metcalf’s relationship after Pittsburgh’s Week 2 game.
“I’m not worried about it. We’re going to get it sorted out,” Rodgers said. “We’ve been on the same page since I came back. I’ll talk with DK like I always do, and we’ll be fine.”
Metcalf’s struggles go back to a rough season opener against Atlanta, and he dropped two more passes in the 20-3 loss to the Patriots. He was candid about it afterward.
“Very frustrating. Especially starting with myself. We just got to be better all around as a group on offense,” Metcalf said.
Metcalf said his teammates were backing him up and helping him get through the slump.
“Somebody is going to step up and make a play. They were coming by and telling me to keep my head up and everything, but I just gotta be better,” the Steelers No. 1 wide receiver explained.
He also ruled out pressing as the reason for the drops.
“Nah, just playing within yourself is good enough,” Metcalf said.
Brown isn’t the only former Steelers voice to question Metcalf. Ex-offensive coordinator Todd Haley has been critical too, and he put it this way on 93.7 The Fan.
“He’s really talented, but he’s not in that stratosphere, in my opinion, of a Larry Fitzgerald or even an Antonio Brown,” Haley said. “But Aaron Rodgers has to do what he should do, and he’s really smart, and he understands coverage. I don’t know DK. I don’t know where he is from that standpoint. But you’ve got to figure out ways. There’s no doubt about it. Your best players, you need to get the ball going in their direction as much as you can.”
The numbers back up the frustration. In his second season with Pittsburgh, Metcalf is coming off a 2025 campaign where he recorded 59 receptions for 850 yards and six touchdowns. This year he has produced a handful of splash plays and two games with more than 90 receiving yards, but he has been averaging a career-low 11.5 yards per catch and has just one touchdown reception heading into the Week 9 bye, per CBS Sports.
Metcalf now heads into the bye week with a chance to reset and rebuild his chemistry with Rodgers before the Steelers’ next game.