Former Steelers Three-Time Pro Bowl Running Back Expresses Disappointment with D.K. Metcalf in 2026

D.K. Metcalf was expected to be the Steelers’ star wide receiver, but he hasn’t delivered. According to Steelers Now, the former Ole Miss Rebels standout is making $33 million annually. His performance has been inconsistent during his time with the team. The 28-year-old has been facing significant struggles with catching passes throughout the first two games of the 2026 season. He’s missed some catches altogether and had some drops as well.

Former Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell took to X, formerly Twitter, to publicly express his disappointment with Metcalf’s performance in 2026. After the first drop of Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots, Bell posted, “Bro DK pisses me off.” While it was a low pass, it was still within reach of the star wide receiver. After the second drop, Bell posted, “Somebody tell me what DK did to get paid so much by Pittsburgh!!!! Bro can’t catch for shit.” Metcalf should have easily caught it, as it was right in his hands. The Steelers suffered a devastating loss to the Patriots. The final score was 20-3.

While virtually the entire Steelers’ offense played poorly on Sunday, the 28-year-old’s missed catches have reached alarming levels of concern. According to KDKA’s Nightly Sports Call, Metcalf has only made eight catches on 20 targets across the Steelers’ first two games of the 2026 season. The former Ole Miss Rebels standout also had a huge drop in the Steelers’ playoff game against the Houston Texans last season. Houston defeated Pittsburgh with a score of 30-6.

Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy, who was hired after Mike Tomlin stepped down in January, was asked about Metcalf’s performance after Sunday’s game. He believes that the two-time Pro Bowler is dealing with a lack of confidence. McCarthy remarked, “All this really leads to one thing, and that’s your players being confident. When you’re not having success, things are not rolling, flow is important.” He explained how confidence issues can affect any player, saying, “Whether you’re blocking, whether you’re catching footballs, whether you’re running routes, whether you’re throwing the ball, when the confidence isn’t right, execution suffers. That’s football.”

The former Ole Miss Rebels standout needs to address his confidence issues and find a way to get his head in the game. Metcalf is one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL. For what he’s getting paid, the two-time Pro Bowler’s performance isn’t at an acceptable level. Jarrett Bailey of Behind the Steel Curtain summed it up well by stating, “Considering he is making north of $30 million per year, he is currently one of the worst contracts in football.”