Time to bond: Receiver DK Metcalf arrived for camp on Monday, checking in early in the day. In his second season with the team, he is happy to be in Latrobe for the next few weeks to bond with his teammates and interact with some fans along the way.
“I got driven here last year, but I drove in yesterday myself and just seeing the different aspects of Pennsylvania that I really don’t get to see on a daily day-to-day basis,” said Metcalf. “I went to Walmart, got to see you know people I don’t normally see, some ‘Latrobians’ if you will, or Steelers fans from around the state. I think it’s a great aspect to see other people that you normally don’t get to see. And plus, people that don’t really get to see us during the season come to Saint Vincent. We just immerse ourselves in this community. I’m really looking forward to the (Saturday) Night Lights. I think that was one of the coolest things that we did last year.
“This is a great organization and how they do things for training camp. Just letting other people get to feel the Steelers who don’t get to feel them on a day-to-day basis.”
Once all the necessities were secured, Metcalf settled into his suite that he once again shares with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who arrived later in the day on Monday.
“I spent (Monday) just chilling, playing video games, and then Aaron got here,” said Metcalf. “He was like, are you going to be there? I was like yeah, (and he said), I’m going to make sure I don’t make too much noise. I’m getting there pretty late. I was, like, nah make as much noise as you want so I’ll come holler at you. When he got here, went over to his room, chopped it up got about 30 minutes and then went to bed.
“Same room, same setup. The room didn’t need to be discussed this time, so that was good.”
Sharing the suite allows Metcalf and Rodgers to continue the bond they started to develop during the 2025 season and grew during the team’s offseason program
“We were trying to get used to the dynamic of everything,” said Metcalf of last season. “He was in a new place. I was in the new place. Right now, our communication is far beyond where it was last year when we first got to camp. He was at a couple OTA practices, so was I. I think we’re leaps ahead of the communication aspect, how we view each other, how we communicate on and off the field right now.
“I think that was the biggest difference that I’ve seen from last year. I think it’s going to continue to grow.”
Metcalf said there were times last season when communication could have been better, but it’s all about moving forward now.
“It was a lot of times to where he would ask me what routes I want or early in the week I could have said, hey, I like this route, I don’t like this route, early on in the weeks instead of it letting it bleed until Sunday,” said Metcalf. “Then we get in the game and we’re both on eggshells, not knowing what the other one’s thinking.
“Now it’s like an open form of communication. I like X, Y, and Z, he likes X, Y, Z, and we can both move forward.”
That ability to move forward got a shot in the arm when Rodgers took a group of players, which included Metcalf and the veteran receivers, on a trip this offseason.
It was just the guys hanging out, getting to know each other better, and bonding over football and brotherhood.
“You take the shoulder pads and helmets off, and you get to see people for who they are on a day-to-day basis instead of the persona or the mask that we put on for the field,” said Metcalf. “I got to know (Michael) Pittman very well, Rome (Roman Wilson), Pat (Freiermuth), Skow (Ben Skowronek), Mason (Rudolph) and Aaron. We all took off our masks, and we talked ball, personal life, everything with each other.
“That can only make you closer because off the field, you’ve got a brother, but on the field that’s my boy. Nobody’s going to touch him, nobody’s going to harm him. I’m going to sacrifice everything that I’ve got to do just to go catch this ball for him. So, I think it just makes that bond that much deeper.”
How much that bond works, only time will tell.
But Metcalf knows the time with Rodgers is likely limited. Rodgers has already said this will be his last season playing, but Metcalf still has that ‘you never know’ mentality.
“People say things at the beginning of the year, not knowing how a year could go,” said Metcalf. “He may not even get hit or touched this year. He may say, hey, let’s go out there and do another one. It just puts the weight off his back. He’s just out there playing free, enjoying possibly his last year with his teammates, with a couple of close friends that he’s made over the past two years.
“I think it’s just a lot of weight off his shoulders right now. He’s just going out there, playing free.”