Wednesday is producing a flurry of wide receiver news. Following the Seahawks’ release of Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf has let it be known he wants to be traded.
Metcalf submitted a trade request, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report the Seahawks are working with him on it. One season remains on Metcalf’s deal. At 27, Metcalf would skyrocket to the top of the list of targets available via trade or in free agency.
Seahawks brass met with Metcalf today, per Pelissero, and the sides agreed to pursue a trade path. A team that would acquire Metcalf would need to either have an extension ready or be prepared to authorize one in the near future. Metcalf wants a new deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Metcalf joins Cooper Kupp on the trade block, as Deebo Samuel — who had signed a similar extension to Metcalf’s in 2022 — moved off it via his trade to the Commanders. The 49ers fetching a fifth-round pick will be relevant to the Seahawks, but Metcalf has been a bit more consistent than Samuel. Metcalf has gone for at least 900 receiving yards in each of his six NFL seasons, thrice eclipsing 1,000. He has two Pro Bowls on his resume, along with a second-team All-Pro nod in 2020. Metcalf is coming off a 992-yard season, as Jaxon Smith-Njigba surged to the top of the Seattle receiving hierarchy.
A recent report suggested the Patriots kicked the tires on Metcalf. New England has been in pursuit of a No. 1-level wideout for a while now. Other teams will step in as well. The Steelers inquired on Metcalf before last year’s deadline. They may be back at the table soon as well, though the prospect of needing to extend Metcalf also could lead to reduced trade offers coming Seattle’s way. The extension topic, naturally, has opened the door to a potential trade. Were the Seahawks all in here, they would merely work with Metcalf’s camp on a third contract.
The big-bodied wideout has proven skeptics wrong, as he had slipped to No. 64 overall in the 2019 draft, and has done well to reward the Seahawks on the three-year, $72MM deal they authorized in 2022. Metcalf topped 1,000 yards in 2022 and ’23, totaling 1,114 yards in the latter season. He also has next to no notable injury history. The Ole Miss alum has missed just three games in six seasons.
The Seahawks teamed Metcalf and Lockett for six years, seeing the two form one of this era’s best receiver duos. Smith-Njigba has changed the equation a bit, but it will still be a blow for Seattle to lose both its dependable veterans in a single offseason. A receiver need, as the Seahawks swung and missed on Dee Eskridge earlier this decade, will emerge if Metcalf is dealt.
A trade at this juncture would be an interesting move, as Mike Macdonald‘s OC search involved questions about who could coax more from the 6-foot-4 pass catcher. Macdonald had viewed Metcalf as too often a decoy under Ryan Grubb. It would cost Seattle $21MM in dead money to trade him, but an extension would help reduce a $31.88MM 2025 cap hit. Only Geno Smith is tied to a higher number on the Hawks’ payroll.
Metcalf is due an $18MM base salary in 2025. While Washington did not have an extension waiting for Samuel, he has submitted uneven work on his second contract. Metcalf being a more reliable player without a comparable injury history would swing a door open wider for a payday to come immediately — if the Seahawks move him.
Patriots. 3rd or 4th. And promptly sign him to an extension while Maye is under his rookie contract.
I wish, Metcalf recently said the New England area isnt a desirable place to play/be a player. Hope he changes his mind if they offer him a fat contract
It will take a 1st round and likely a 3rd round pick as well. He has zero leverage and is under contract for a year. Seattle can trade to whoever offers the best package.
He just blew all the leverage that Seattle had. Seattle doesn’t want an angry Debo on the sidelines so they have to move him. A third rounder is about as good as it’s going to get. Zero chance they touch a second much less a 1st and 3rd, that’s just fan thinking.
LOL. He’s not getting traded for anything less than a #1. This isn’t a plus 30 WR like Adams. This is a prime 27 year old WR with a year of control. In the NBA you have to trade a disgruntled player. Not so much in the NFL, if he wants to get that HUGE contract he plays ball. He doesn’t want what happened to Haasan Reddick to happen to him. That dude cost himself 8 digits.
1st and 3rd for a dude who has publicly requested a trade and is in the final year of his contract? Doubtful.
Gonna be fun watching DK report to the minimum 6 games he needs to report for in order to qualify for free agency.
And then get tagged. What does he do then? Sit out again? And at age 29 becomes a FA? That will cost him 10’s of millions of $$.
Good luck signing another star player. They know which teams like to screw their players over. The Seahawks are going to take what they can get and move on. They aren’t touching a first rounder.
High salary guys like Metcalf, as good as they may be, never get the return you’re expecting. They hit the salary cap too hard to hand over that level of compensation.
4th round pick. Maybe a 4th and a 6th.
They will get more then a 4th round in pick. I would say at least a high 3rd rounder possibly late 2nd.
Good. Let’s get a good pick and player back. It’s time for a new era. JSN is the guy!
On his way to GB
AFC team is a more likely trade partner, not an NFC contender.
welcome to NE for a 4th/7th
Hawks would gladly take the #4 overall pick, but you it would probably need add their 3rd round pick as well.
Lmao you’re gonna be severely disappointed with the return for 1 year of DK if youre expecting a #4 overall and a 3rd round pick.
Not expecting, but they will get a 1st round pick for him. A 4th round and a 7th is laughable.
Why do you think theyll get a 1st. Keenan Allen who was coming off a way better year last year than Metcalf is netted the Chargers a 4th.
Keenan Allen has an extensive injury history and is much older
The Chargers also were in dire cap straits and couldn’t keep Allen on his cap hit after deciding to keep Bosa and Mack instead. The Seahawks don’t *need* to trade Metcalf.
Metcalf won’t return a first round pick. He’ll return more than a 4th round pick and a 7th round pick. There’s a LOT of ground in between.
Zero change you get a 1st rnd pick
It’s a weak draft and free agency for WRs. Seattle will get a 2nd minimum, with a 1st being a possibility.
Highly doubt anyone trades a first for him.
nobody is giving up a 1st for 1 year of DK.
They lost a lot of leverage with his request and the fact that it’s a one year rental. There are also a lot of decent WRs available as free agents that will cost no draft capital. A fourth, possibly, third round pick
Come to Houston
This is going to be a fun offseason.
Yes I’ve been saying this for weeks. March 12 afternoon the flurry of news and suprise signings is going to be fun to read lmao
Maybe not so much for players who can’t control themselves while getting a massage 🙂
They’ll explode with excitement
I’d love to see D.K. come to the Steelers
Of course, it might be nice to have QB in mind who can throw accurately.
If he goes to the Steelers it would be even easier to satisfy his candy addiction with Hershey a few hours away.
Best spots for him:
1. Patriots. This is a no brainer and they have the money and need for a WR1
2. Chargers
3. Steelers
4. Giants(if they throw enough money at him )
5. Broncos
Would love D.K on the Lions..But..that guy gets a lot of stupid penalties and let’s his attitude take his head out of the game .. so idk
That would be interesting but the Lions are better off getting someoneike Kirk or a draft option to pair with Amon, Laporta and Williams. Maybe Garrett Wilson if he ends up on the trading block. I would be wary of a guy requesting a trade as much as I like DK.
Cap. But I’ll go with it. Lol. why not. Season don’t start til August. Lmao. Geno smith and Wesson
I wouldn’t mind seeing him with the Broncos. Metcalf/Sutton/Mims/Vele + a talented TE or two would be a stomping ground.
I also wouldn’t be surprised if Payton tries either. It would be an upgrade from Lil’ Jordan Humphrey, and he likes big receivers. It’s either him or Godwin if they explore WR free agency. I can’t see who else really.
I’m not expecting that to happen, but it would be interesting to see, for sure. If anything, I see Denver making a stronger push for Gesicki. They’ll probably draft someone there, but he looks like the only tight end to offer anything different from what Denver already has (which would be great receiving athleticism, albeit with a notable blocking deficiency) On offense, that might be their biggest immediate need. They’ll have to start planning for a Bolles departure, as well, so whatever extension Metcalf would need would probably complicate that exchange.
Yeah, you’re probably right. WR is a want more than a need for the Broncos and they’re still looking to reduce cap space. Signing Metcalf wouldn’t go in that direction. Payton also isn’t splashy, very homegrown approach.
Yeah, as it turns out, beating the crap out of your receiver through constant punishment underneath and running can have a detrimental affect on his availability…
Metcalf has been extremely dependable, and much more versatile than he was feared to be coming out of Ole Miss, where a lot of people thought he was a one trick vertically route guy. With his cap hit scenario, and being 27, you have to wonder whether the recent Lockett release was done in part to allow for an extension to smooth out Metcalf’s money. He’d have to be willing to sign, of course, but he could be a viable number one for a few more years. I mentioned Courtland Sutton and Denver as being an analogous situation in the Lockett article; I don’t think that it’s out of the realm of possibility that the Seahawks retain Metcalf to be a young quarterback’s big bodied veteran option after Seattle acquires one in a couple of years. A trade would help Seattle procure ammunition to move up for that QB, if necessary.
The major difference here is that cap hit. Would Seattle just swallow that for a third round pick (or possibly later)? Or they do they think that a 28 or 29 year old Metcalf is more valuable to a rookie quarterback later on? If he’s traded, the new team is going to have to have an extension ready. This doesn’t seem comparable to the one year rentals that we saw last year and in years past-although, if the Seahawks were going to absorb that hit, this year is probably the best one to do it…it’ll be interesting to see what Schneider decides to do.
What could the Steelers get for Pickens?
What would Metcalf cost?
Seems like that would be a worthwhile upgrade.
Probably top 3 “Diva” WR in the league
The only reason Seattle should trade DK is if they are resetting. They should cut Dre Jones, Geno Smith, and anyone else making any money at all. Then let Sam Howell start 18 games and get you a top two pick so that you can reset the franchise. Trading DK means that Seattle is not trying to win in the next three years.
They already cut Jones
Best news I heard for the Seahawks in a while. DK will be a liability for any team unless he controls his temper.
For everybody arguing over value…probably the best comparisons are the aj brown and Hollywood brown deals. Dk is 3 years older so the value is a bit lower. Low first to a second rounder is probably his value. Second rounder is probably the most realistic.
Steelers. Wilson resigns.