Beyond the trade, the Steelers will give Metcalf a five-year, $150 million contract. The elite deep threat wanted warm weather, but ultimately a $30 million yearly average on the deal changed his mind.
Packers’ decision to stand pat
Once again, general manager Brian Gutekunst was in the conversation to make a big-time move, but thought the price was too high. And yes, the combination of high draft capital and such a big contract is significant. But sometimes that’s the price to acquire star players.
And the Packers have paid for not having many blue-chip players on the roster.
Now, the options for the Packers to acquire a truly elite receiver are extremely limited. The most realistic option would be sending a similar package to the San Francisco 49ers for Brandon Aiyuk. According to The Athletic, the 49ers have ‘remorse’ about giving the offensive weapon an extension.
And while it would be expensive, at least a new extension wouldn’t be necessary. Aiyuk is under contract through 2028, slated to make $24.875 million in 2025, $27 million in 2026, $28.124 million in 2027, and $30 million in the last year of the deal. Of all that, the 2025 salary is fully guaranteed, and most of the 2026 salary becomes guaranteed on April 1, 2025.
The big questions are if the 49ers would be willing to trade Aiyuk to the Packers, and if the Packers would be willing to give up such a high draft capital to San Francisco after not pulling the trigger for Metcalf.
The final option, and this one is extremely unlikely at this point, is convincing the Cincinnati Bengals to trade Tee Higgins, who’s under a franchise tag.
Free agency options
The most likely scenario at this point is that the Packers will roll with their young group and without a true WR1 once again in 2025. However, with Christian Watson injured and expected to miss the start of next season with an ACL injury, adding a more experienced option in free agency, someone like Josh Palmer, shouldn’t be surprising.
The Packers are what they are. You can call them conservative, scared, or smart. Either way, the more realistic chance of acquiring a top wide receiver is gone, and there are few alternatives at such a high level left.