The NFL formally upheld the two-game suspension for Pittsburgh Steelers huge receiver DK Metcalf on Tuesday night time. Metcalf was suspended for an altercation with a fan throughout the staff’s 29-24 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
It may very well be a expensive suspension for Metcalf financially given what it does to the guaranteed money in his contract.
It may influence the Steelers if both of their remaining two regular-season video games have playoff implications.
It also needs to go away the Steelers additional annoyed given the modifications they made to their huge receiver room, in addition to their current monitor document with huge receivers inflicting complications with non-game points.
Steelers needed to be hoping for extra normalcy from huge receiver place
The Steelers have had fairly an inventory of chaotic — and terribly gifted — huge receivers over the previous decade who’ve finally worn out their welcome for one motive or one other.
Antonio Brown performed like a Corridor of Famer in Pittsburgh, however it will definitely devolved into continuous chaos.
Diontae Johnson gave them very good route-running and a few big-play means, however his wore out his welcome off the sector, leading to a commerce to the Carolina Panthers.
Chase Claypool had an enormous rookie season, however he finally performed his approach out of Pittsburgh and annoyed the staff earlier than a commerce to the Chicago Bears.
Then there was the George Pickens expertise. Pickens flashed moments of brilliance, however he turned such a headache behind the scenes and off the sector the staff traded him to the Dallas Cowboys shortly after buying Metcalf.
The thought course of was that Metcalf may very well be an improve on the sector and fewer upkeep off it. Thus far, it has not performed out that approach.
Whereas Metcalf has been a strong addition and had his moments, Pickens has outperformed him because the trades. Now the Steelers need to take care of the truth that Metcalf couldn’t maintain his feelings in test and took himself out of the lineup at a key level within the season. Not even Pickens had that form of factor occur.
There’s a likelihood the Steelers’ subsequent two video games are meaningless. If the Baltimore Ravens lose to the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night time, then the Steelers will clinch the AFC North. In that case, it is not going to matter that Metcalf just isn’t there. If the Ravens win that sport, nonetheless, the Steelers must win one among their remaining two video games, both towards the Cleveland Browns on Sunday or towards the Ravens in Week 18 within the regular-season finale. Given how skinny their huge receiver room is by way of high quality depth, and that Metcalf is by far their finest huge receiver, not having him for an necessary sport may very well be an issue.
This isn’t what they signed up for. Even when the fan in Detroit acted out of bounds, it’s on Metcalf to be the skilled and never let it get to him. It did. The NFL needed to do one thing. Now it leaves the Steelers questioning after they can simply discover some normalcy on the place.
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