The Pittsburgh Steelers just hired Mike McCarthy to become their next head coach, and he will be tasked with either elevating the culture past their playoff struggles or starting the rebuild process.

It is unlikely McCarthy is the future for the Steelers, as his experience mirrors that of Mike Tomlin, and McCarthy is 62 years old.

The Steelers have had only three head coaches since 1969 until McCarthy was hired as their fourth. The fifth will likely happen sooner rather than later. Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has stated that he believes the Steelers should not draft a quarterback for a while. 

They should either run it back with Aaron Rodgers or move on to Will Howard and build the team first, then find the quarterback.

That is why the Pittsburgh Steelers will trade D.K. Metcalf to the Las Vegas Raiders to start their process of building an elite team first.

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Why The Las Vegas Raiders Should Trade For D.K. Metcalf

Metcalf entered the NFL back in 2019 with the Seattle Seahawks and looked like he was going to become the next big dominant wide receiver.

A physical freak of nature with elite straight-line speed, Metcalf’s ability was easily showcased in just his first few games in the league. He is an above-average wide receiver in the league; however, he has yet to pan out into the top 10 receiver many thought he would become.

Metcalf’s 2025 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers was statistically the worst in his career, but he still had better numbers than many other receivers put up.

The Steelers should move on from the 28-year-old wide receiver and look to return draft assets for the future. The quarterback of the future is not set in Pittsburgh, and they should look to the future, not 2026.

The Las Vegas Raiders have the first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, and Fernando Mendoza is sure to be selected. The rookie quarterback will need as much talent around him to have early success in the NFL to build off of. The Raiders have the right end and running back, but lack in the wide receiver room. 

Pairing Ashton Jeanty, Brock Bowers, and D.K Metcalf together to help Mendoza get comfortable would instantly give the offense a much-needed jolt of energy.

If you also factor in speedster wideout Tre Tucker, the Raiders offense could be cooking under new head coach Klint Kubiak. The Raiders need to add as much as they can via the draft, free agency, and trades to help Mendoza succeed right from the get-go.

What Would a Trade Package Look Like?

The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired D.K. Metcalf last March for a 2nd round pick, a seventh-round pick swap, and a sixth-round pick swap. The Steelers were doing their best to go “all-in” with Aaron Rodgers for the 2025 season and were able to win the AFC North and make it to the playoffs. However, their playoff performance proved they did not belong.

The Steelers are unlikely to get back what they gave up for him, but it could be close. The Steelers should seek a third-round pick and the same sixth and seventh round swaps as they did before.

That 2026 third-round pick will be highly valuable, as it will be the 67th overall. There would be no harm in asking for a second, but with pick 36 overall, the Raiders should look to retain it.

The Las Vegas Raiders have a lot of great pieces and are about to get their future starting quarterback. They must give him a big-time target to throw to, along with a capable offensive line.

The easiest way to give Fernando Mendoza a legit number one guy right away to throw to is to trade for D.K. Metcalf.

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