For a moment, it looked like Pittsburgh Steelers might pay a steep price for being without DK Metcalf at the worst possible time.
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Now, that concern is gone.
Metcalf's two-game suspension has been lifted, clearing him to return to the team Monday. He is expected to be back in the starting lineup when the Steelers host the Houston Texans next Monday night in the wild-card round.
His absence loomed large over the past two weeks. Pittsburgh struggled offensively against both the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens, and Metcalf's impact was hard to miss. Even when the ball is not coming his way, his presence near the goal line forces defenses to adjust.
There is a reasonable argument that the Steelers would have beaten Cleveland had Metcalf been available. The regular-season finale against Baltimore might not have come down to a last-second field goal attempt either. A miss nearly cost Pittsburgh its postseason positioning.
Regardless, Metcalf will be there now. And that matters.
Around the league, some have questioned whether the punishment fit the incident. Metcalf received a two-game suspension for assaulting a fan, while Dre Greenlaw of the Denver Broncos also received two games earlier this season for verbally confronting referee Brad Allen. The Metcalf situation crossed a different line.
During the incident, Metcalf threw a punch at Lions fan Ryan Kennedy that missed. He also grabbed Kennedy's shirt near a railing. Had either moment gone differently, the outcome could have been far more serious.
Metcalf paid a price for behavior that remains highly unusual in the NFL. The Steelers also took heat for failing to prevent him from approaching the stands in the first place. Some around the league still believe the discipline should have been harsher.
None of that changes what comes next.
Pittsburgh will have one of its most dangerous offensive weapons available for the postseason. The immediate goal is clear. Win a playoff game. The Steelers have not done that since the 2016 season, marking the longest postseason drought since the franchise's first playoff victory in the 1972 Immaculate Reception game.
With Metcalf back, they at least have their full hand to play.
