The DK Metcalf drama is over. In the space of an hour on Sunday night, Green Bay Packers fans' dreams of landing Metcalf or Davante Adams went up in smoke.
Adams signed with the Los Angeles Rams, giving Matthew Stafford a perfect receiving partner for Puka Nacua. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers sent a second-rounder to the Seattle Seahawks for Metcalf.
Pittsburgh also handed Metcalf a new contract, agreeing to terms on a five-year extension worth $150 million, a staggering $30 million-per-year average.
Were the Packers close? Did they make a strong offer? As it turns out, they never had interest. The Athletic's Matt Schneidman reports that Green Bay never made an offer to Seattle, noting that a deal was "never a realistic possibility."
After all that drama, it turns out the Packers weren't even interested. But they may live to regret that decision.
Packers should've made a strong offer to the Seahawks for DK Metcalf trade
Yes, paying $30 million a year is steep. It's fair to call it an overpay by the Steelers. But in the world of a rapidly increasing salary cap, that's how you get deals done. Pittsburgh's contract for Metcalf will soon look like a bargain compared to other upcoming wide receiver extensions.
The Steelers also landed a star receiver without having to part ways with a first-round pick.
Green Bay has to pay a wide receiver in the near future. Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs have expiring contracts in 2026, and unless the Packers plan to replace them with rookies, they will either have to pay one of them or sign a free agent.
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Metcalf would've given the Packers a significant upgrade at wide receiver. His speed and ability to hurt defenses deep is everything this offense lacked in the playoffs.
With Metcalf, Adams, and Tee Higgins no longer available, where do the Packers turn?
It's unlikely they will make a deal with free-agent Chris Godwin, who is 29 years old, coming off a major injury, and could land even more money than Metcalf to stay with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Will they take a more affordable approach and sign a free agent like Marquez Valdes-Scantling?
The Packers could focus on April's draft. Perhaps they will use their second-rounder on a rookie receiver, the same pick that could've gotten a deal over the line for Metcalf.
It may turn out to be a genius decision, especially if the Packers can land a star receiver in the draft on a rookie contract. But it's a gamble. There's no guarantee that Green Bay would've made a stronger offer than Pittsburgh, but it's concerning that Brian Gutekunst didn't even show interest.
If he is unable to solve the Packers' wide receiver conundrum in the months ahead, this is a moment he could live to regret.