Jason Mackey: So the Steelers traded for DK Metcalf ... but who'll be throwing him the ball?

PITTSBURGH — Skylar Thompson sure has his work cut out for him.

OK, the only quarterback on the Steelers' roster at the moment probably isn't going to be under center for Week 1. But after the Steelers acquired DK Metcalf for a 2025 second-round pick on Sunday night, I couldn't help but laugh a little at the premise.

Get your rest, Skylar. We're gonna need that right arm.

But on a serious note, it's hard to not wonder what this massive trade — a coup and a half for general manager Omar Khan and a transaction that seemingly changes so much about the staleness that has shrouded the Steelers — might mean for Justin Fields, Sam Darnold or anybody else on the organization's shortlist when it comes to quarterback.

We should have answers soon, of course.

The legal tampering period starts Monday. That puzzle piece can't click into place fast enough.

I also find the timing of the Metcalf trade — and his five-year, $150 million extension — fascinating.

If I'm Fields and I previously toyed with the idea of testing free agency, I might rethink those plans. The prospect of throwing to Metcalf and George Pickens is awfully enticing, although the Jets — who seem to covet Fields' services most — don't exactly lack for weapons out wide.

According to the Athletic's Dianna Russini, the Steelers did plan on making an offer to Darnold, formerly of the Vikings. The scope of that is unknown, but if it's a prove-it type of deal, Darnold would have plenty with which to work. The same for Fields, really.

My mind also went to Russell Wilson, who along with wife Ciara helped set up Metcalf and his girlfriend, Fifth Harmony singer Normani.

Perhaps an elite wide receiver — someone who averaged 77 catches, 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns over his six seasons in Seattle, not to mention a good friend and former teammate — could help Wilson avoid a nosedive in 2025.

For what it's worth, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette's Gerry Dulac reported that Wilson is not why Metcalf signed here, though I can't see what would prevent Wilson from re-signing if it was determined to be a fit for both sides.

Bottom line, the Metcalf signing changes so much about the quarterback situation and how I think most will feel about the Steelers' offseason on the whole.

After all, surely you've seen the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Metcalf work. He's a freakish athlete who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.33 seconds coming out of Ole Miss. Seattle selected him in the second round in 2019.

Nobody in Seahawks history has produced more than the 27-year-old's 6,324 receiving yards over his half-dozen NFL seasons. Only four wide receivers in the entire NFL have more than Metcalf's 48 career touchdowns since '19.

He's unquestionably elite, appointment-viewing, a player who commands attention and will make defenses pick either him or Pickens because they probably won't have the manpower to blanket both.

Yeah, good luck with that.

The Steelers, in my mind, must be considered the top destination for free-agent quarterbacks, a place where guys know they can thrive.

If it's Darnold, it also feels similar to the situation he's leaving in Minnesota, with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, plus tight end T.J. Hockenson and Jalen Nailor as a No. 3 wide receiver.

Fields, meanwhile, might now have to weigh how much he values the certainty of staying here versus what could await him with the Jets, a situation that ... well, hasn't worked out for many recently.

And, lastly, does this change any of the calculus for Wilson given his ties to and chemistry with his former teammate in Seattle?

So many storylines.

And there's even the ironic link of two similar wide receivers who both happen to wear the No. 14.

If the Steelers are paying Metcalf $33 million per season, it sure seems tough to see them shelling out $20-$30 million for Pickens.

Which also makes me wonder: Does a Pickens trade, to replenish that second-round pick, now make more sense?

I'm not sure if I'm there.

I sort of like the idea of Metcalf and Pickens lining up on opposite sides of the field. If Pickens plays out the final year of his rookie deal before testing free agency, so be it.

This should also mean that the Steelers can focus on defensive line in the first round of the NFL draft while adding a plug-and-play back to team with Jaylen Warren and keep defenses honest. You'd have to think Metcalf, a healthy Roman Wilson and maybe another smaller addition can improve this group of wide receivers.

One that now, more than anything else the Steelers have done recently, epitomizes their stated desire to win now. At least from a wide receiver standpoint, they could be finally equipped to do so, too.

The Seahawks targeted Metcalf at least 100 times per season in each of his half-dozen there. He also had 66 catches for 992 yards and five touchdowns in 2024 — a down year for him and across-the-board better than Pickens.

It'll be a challenge to get both the ball, as neither Metcalf nor Pickens exhibits much patience with that sort of thing, but who cares?

They went out and made the splashy move that so many figured they'd avoid. After failing to punch it into the end zone with several other wide receivers — Brandon Aiyuk and Christian Kirk, to name two — the Steelers finally showed up to the party with the hot, out-of-town date they'd been promising.

That Metcalf sometimes exhibits Pickens-like behavior, again, doesn't bother me. Nor does his propensity for penalties: 38 since he entered the NFL, 10 more than anyone.

The Steelers added an elite playmaker and a dynamic aspect to their offense not seen around here since Antonio Brown. Good on Khan for taking a big swing and connecting.

But I'm equally as excited — and maybe more so — to see who'll be throwing passes to Metcalf and Pickens.

Assuming, you know, that it's not Skylar Thompson.

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