The Pittsburgh Steelers traded for wide receiver DK Metcalf in March 2025. The move helped bolster the Steelers' wide receiver room before trading away George Pickens in May.
Metcalf played his college football at Ole Miss and was a second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. When Pittsburgh acquired him, the Steelers signed him to a five-year, $150 million deal.
Metcalf had one of the more unique names in the league because he simply went by "DK." The name is technically a nickname and is a shortening of his legal first name. He prefers to go by his nickname, much like a player legally named Christopher may prefer to go by "Chris" instead.
Here is more on Metcalf's full name.
MORE: Ranking the greatest Steelers of all time
What is DK Metcalf's full name?
DK Metcalf's full name is DeKaylin Zecharius Metcalf.
MORE: Steelers impressive win streak at home for "Monday Night Football"
What does DK stand for in DK Metcalf's name?
"DK" stands for DeKaylin, which is Metcalf's legal first name. It is just a nickname for the wide receiver that he prefers to go by. He has been called "DK" since he was a kid, and it stuck.
MORE: Why did the NFL suspend DK Metcalf during the 2025 regular season?
Why does DK Metcalf not like his real name?
DK Metcalf's full name made headlines during the Steelers' Week 16 game against the Detroit Lions in 2025. The wide receiver was shown on the broadcast accosting a fan and it looked like he swung at him.
DK Metcalf appears to have an altercation with a Detroit fan pic.twitter.com/a478Zjg3tR
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 21, 2025
When the fan was interviewed after the game, he maintained that he called the wide receiver by his real name, "DeKaylin," and that that is what caused the eruption from Metcalf.
The Lions fan later held a press conference after reports came out that he had actually used a racial slur when talking to the wide receiver. He doubled down saying, "DeKaylin doesn't like his full name."
There are no other reports that confirm that Metcalf doesn't like his full name. He has consistently just gone by "D.K." And appears to prefer it.
MORE: What to know about Rooney family's Irish roots