DeKaylin Zecharius Metcalf (born December 14, 1997) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft. After six seasons with the Seahawks, Metcalf was traded to the Steelers in 2025. He has one All-Pro selection and has been named to the Pro Bowl twice.
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Early life
DeKaylin Zecharius Metcalf was born on December 14, 1997, in Oxford, Mississippi. Metcalf's father, Terrence, also played college football at Ole Miss and was an offensive lineman in the NFL for the Bears, Lions and Saints.
Metcalf attended Oxford High School in Oxford, Mississippi. During his high school football career, he had 224 receptions for 3,302 yards and 49 touchdowns. Regarded as a four-star prospect, Metcalf was ranked the No. 14 wide receiver prospect by Rivals.com. He committed to play college football at the University of Mississippi.
College career
As a freshman at Ole Miss in 2016, Metcalf appeared in the first two games of the season before suffering a foot injury which ended his season. He was granted a redshirt following his injury. He had two receptions for 13 yards with both of the receptions going for touchdowns. In 2017, he had 39 receptions for 646 yards and seven touchdowns. During the 2018 season, Metcalf had 26 receptions for 569 yards before sustaining a season-ending neck injury against Arkansas. After his 2018 season, Metcalf declared for the 2019 NFL draft, forgoing his last two years of college football. He finished his career with 67 receptions for 1,228 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Professional career
Seattle Seahawks
Metcalf was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round as the 64th overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, the ninth of 28 wide receivers. On May 22, 2019, Metcalf signed a four-year deal with the Seahawks worth $4.6 million.
Metcalf played his first regular season game on September 8, 2019, against the Cincinnati Bengals, where he made four receptions for 89 receiving yards as the Seahawks won 21–20. This set a franchise record for total receiving yards by a player making his NFL debut, eclipsing Hall of Famer Steve Largent's previous record of 86 yards. In Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Metcalf caught three passes for 61 yards, including his first career touchdown, as the Seahawks won 28–26. In Week 8 against the Atlanta Falcons, Metcalf recorded three catches for 13 yards and two touchdowns in the 27–20 win, Metcalf's first career game with multiple touchdowns. The following week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Metcalf set new career highs in receptions and receiving yards, with six catches for 124 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown in the final minutes of the fourth quarter and a 29-yard catch on 3rd down in overtime that set up a game winning touchdown a few plays later. It was his first career 100-yard game. He also caught a two-point conversion that tied the game at 21 in the third quarter. Metcalf finished the regular season with 900 receiving yards (third among NFL rookies) on 58 receptions with seven receiving touchdowns, second on the team in all three categories to Tyler Lockett. Metcalf was ranked 81st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020.
In the Wild Card Round against the Philadelphia Eagles, Metcalf recorded seven catches for 160 yards and a touchdown in the Seahawks' 17–9 victory. This set the NFL record for most receiving yards by a rookie in a playoff game.
In Week 1 against the Falcons, Metcalf caught 4 passes for 95 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown reception, during the 38–25 win. In the following week's game against the New England Patriots, Metcalf caught four passes for 92 yards and a 54-yard touchdown during the 35–30 win.
In the first quarter of the Week 3 game against the Dallas Cowboys, after catching a 61-yard pass, Metcalf slowed to a jog and held the ball out with one hand, seemingly unaware that a defender was behind him. Trevon Diggs knocked the ball free of Metcalf's grasp before he broke the plane of the endzone, and the fumble traveled out of bounds for a touchback. The gaffe was compared to Leon Lett's infamous fumble in Super Bowl XXVII. Despite the blunder, the Seahawks won the game 38–31. Metcalf finished with 110 receiving yards, including the 29-yard game-winning touchdown. In Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins, he had four receptions for 106 yards in the 31–23 victory.
Pittsburgh Steelers
On March 9, 2025, multiple outlets reported that the Seahawks had agreed in principle to trade Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a second-round pick (No. 52 overall) in the 2025 NFL draft, along with a pick swap in the sixth and seventh rounds. Metcalf also reportedly agreed to a five-year, $150 million extension of his contract. On March 13, the trade was officially announced.
Metcalf made his first start with the Steelers at MetLife Stadium, defeating the New York Jets with a final score of 34–32. During the victory, Metcalf caught four passes on seven targets for 83 yards, making him the team's leading receiver on the afternoon.
On December 21, 2025, during a Week 16 game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field, Metcalf was involved in an altercation with a fan seated near the sideline. Video footage from the game showed Metcalf grabbing a shirt and engaging in a verbal exchange with the fan before attempting to strike the individual. The incident was not observed by game officials, and no penalty was assessed during the game. Following the game, the NFL and the Pittsburgh Steelers stated that they were reviewing the incident; Metcalf was suspended for the last two games of the regular season. Metcalf appealed, but the NFL denied his appeal and upheld his suspension. He will also forfeit $555,556 in salary and the suspension voids $45 million in future guaranteed money per his contract. Metcalf finished the 2025 season with 59 receptions for 850 yards and six touchdowns.
Career statistics
Awards and honors
Second-team All-Pro (2020)
2× Pro Bowl (2020, 2023)
Seattle Seahawks Top 50 players
4× NFL Top 100 — 81st (2020), 22nd (2021), 84th (2024), 88th (2026)
Seahawks record most receiving yards in rookie debut: (89 vs. Cincinnati Bengals on September 8, 2019)
Personal life
After ESPN announcer Joe Tessitore mistakenly called him "Decaf Metcalf", Metcalf partnered with Volcanica Coffee. Beginning in December 2019, 16-ounce bags of coffee labeled "Decaf Metcalf" began selling on the company's website. Part of the proceeds from the coffee sales were announced to be donated to Prison Fellowship.
Metcalf is a born-again Christian.
On February 17, 2023, Metcalf played in the NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game. Metcalf shot 9 of 16 and finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. He also had some emphatic dunks in the 81–78 victory. This performance earned him the Most Valuable Player award for the game.
Metcalf has been in a relationship with singer Normani since 2022, after being introduced to each other through their mutual friends, Russell Wilson and Ciara. He announced their engagement on March 13, 2025, during his introductory press conference for the Steelers.