In one of the more stunning moves of NFL free agency, Seattle Seahawks star DK Metcalf left the only franchise he's ever known to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers this upcoming season. Fans had lots of questions, and Metcalf had some answers in a recent guest appearance on the Get Got Pod with Marshawn Lynch and Michael Robinson.

Metcalf was dealt to the Steelers earlier this month after he requested a trade out of Seattle. The veteran wide receiver spoke candidly about his choice to leave the organization that drafted him back in 2019, admitting that he felt like an "outsider" in his final season in 2024.

"We were the only six people left from that 2019 team, the team that felt that real camaraderie in the building," Metcalf said. "Now when you start switching out OCs, switching out head coaches, you start getting different messages from what you're used to. The Pete [Carroll] messages were gone. So now it was just six outsiders trying to get a new message."

Metcalf named himself, Tyler Lockett, Geno Smith and a few other players as the only people left from the 2019 season, back when Pete Carroll was still head coach. After Carroll stepped down in January 2024, Mike Macdonald was hired and brought on former University of Washington OC Ryan Grubb, who had never coached before in the NFL.

The new coaching changes may have led to mounting frustrations for Metcalf, who discussed one heated moment with Grubb during a regular-season matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.

Metcalf and Lockett reportedly helped Grubb with game prep ahead of time by sending in notes to their group chat. Then, during the game, Metcalf noticed he was playing against a familiar defender and knew exactly how to attack him.

"So I'm like, 'Okay, on third down you have to run past him early because they're just going to sit at the sticks.' On third-and-4 we called all hitches, like that not running past him... When he sat and knocked the ball down, I come to the sideline like, 'Let me just get the headset.'... That was the last week me and Lock did that, that was the last week we did any extra game-planning for them."

Here's that heated moment from the Seahawks-49ers game:

What's in the past is in the past, and Metcalf has earned himself a fresh start in Pittsburgh working with Mike Tomlin, though the Steelers' quarterback situation is still up in the air.

Even so, the new Steelers star is undoubtedly happy to be here.

"Got a chance to meet some greats like Cam Chancellor, you know, Richard Sherman. But you know, it's just time for me to move on. I think the grass is greener on the other side," Metcalf said.


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This article was originally published on www.si.com as DK Metcalf Details Sad Reason Behind His Decision to Request Seahawks Trade.