Shortly after Russell Wilson came to Pittsburgh last year, Ian Furness of KJR Radio in Seattle joined the “Breakfast With Benz” podcast and had a less than glowing review of what Steelers fans could expect from their new quarterback.
While Wilson went above and beyond in Pittsburgh to compensate for some of the reputation he had built up for being a corporate entity instead of a teammate in Seattle and Denver, a lot of what Furness foreshadowed in terms of Wilson’s in-game pros and cons manifested during the 2024 campaign at Acrisure Stadium.
When Furness joined me again on 105.9 The X in Pittsburgh on Monday, he painted a very different picture of new Steeler DK Metcalf. He’s another former Seahawk who is joining the Steelers after a standout career in Seattle. The 27-year-old pass catcher and Wilson were teammates before Wilson left to play with the Broncos.
“I think 100%, yes, he’s a No. 1 wide receiver. You’re getting an absolute thoroughbred. I’ve loved watching him play, loved covering him. Love everything about him,” Furness said. “There’s not much I’m going to say negative about DK. You guys are getting ‘a dude.’ There’s no doubt about it.”
That said, Metcalf had a significant dip in production last year. From Nov. 17 through the end of the year, Metcalf never exceeded 70 receiving yards in a single game. He scored only five times all year.
But Furness blames a lot of that slump on Metcalf trying to play through an MCL injury.
“He hadn’t missed a game yet in his career until this year. He was hurt early in the season but tried to fight through it. They finally held him out for a couple of games. Then he came back, and he was never really 100%,” Furness explained. “The Seahawks literally, forcefully, had to hold him out of games. That’s not who and what he is. This is a guy that is just the ultimate competitor.”
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When Metcalf asked for a trade this winter, there was some surprise, and Furness says some people inside Seattle’s offices are convinced that Wilson had something to do with Metcalf’s request.
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“I think Russ is the reason (Metcalf) wanted out. I think Russ whispered in his ears. Russ has been a cancer for the Seahawk organization,” Furness said. “Russ keeps in contact with (Metcalf) and Tyler (Lockett). I know — from what I understand inside the building — they’re pretty confident that Russ is the guy who was whispering in DK’s ears. Kind of poisoning the well, so to speak.”
Furness says that Wilson’s alleged influence wasn’t even about guiding Metcalf to Pittsburgh. After all, Wilson doesn’t even know if he’ll be back in Black and Gold this season. It was more about simply implying that there are greener pastures beyond Seattle.
“Just talking about getting out. Like, ‘Hey, you deserve this.’ And you’ve got to remember why Russ wanted out. Russ was trying to get John Schneider, the GM, fired — as well as (former coach) Pete Carroll. Always remember that in terms of the ‘Russ influence,’” Furness said. “He’s a clubhouse politician. He wasn’t trying to get (Metcalf) in Pittsburgh, thinking he was going to be in Pittsburgh. He’s like, ‘Yeah, man, you should, you should get (paid).’”
Wilson and Metcalf have a good relationship going back to their playing days together in Seattle, as do Wilson’s wife (Ciara) and Metcalf’s girlfriend (Normani). They are both pop music singers, and all four were recently photographed together.
Now we’ll see if Wilson comes back to the Steelers as the team’s quarterback for a second consecutive year, or if he yields the position to Aaron Rodgers as Wilson perhaps jumps to Tennessee.
Listen: Ian Furness of KJR Radio in Seattle joins me to talk about the DK Metcalf acquisition by the Steelers, Russell Wilson’s alleged involvement, the Kraken, and more.