DK Metcalf Interview: What’s changed as Seahawks WR enters Year 5?

The Seattle Seahawks are in a very good place entering the 2023 season, which star receiver DK Metcalf discussed during a Wednesday morning interview with Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk ahead of the start of training camp.

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“I think just building on last year, I think we ended in a good spot making the playoffs and going on a little run with the team that we had in the building,” Metcalf said. “But with the additional pieces that we added this offseason – we signed some guys to longer-term deals – I’m just excited to get back to work and just build on last year.”

One of the guys who signed a long-term deal is quarterback Geno Smith, who shined in his first year as a starter in Seattle. Smith was a Pro Bowler who led the NFL in completion percentage while finishing in the top 10 in yards and touchdowns.

What did @Seahawks WR @dkm14 have to say about heading into Training Camp this season? What's it like to be in a leadership role on this team? Who made that tuxedo he was wearing at @TDLockett12's wedding? He answers that & much more in the exclusive @SeattleSports interview. pic.twitter.com/HWBW2DES0Z

— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports) July 26, 2023

So what does Metcalf see from Smith as he enters Year 2 as the Hawks’ starting quarterback?

“Geno’s going to be Geno. He didn’t try to come in and try to be anybody else but himself,” Metcalf said of his quarterback. “I think he knows himself and knows how to throw the football, knows how to be accurate and just be himself. And that’s what I think got him the starting role at the end of camp (in 2022) and he just built on it from the time that he was a backup to earning the starting spot. I think it was just him being competitive in practice and not letting the outside noise get to him.”

From pupil to leader for Seattle Seahawks

Metcalf may just be 25 years old, but he’s entering his fifth NFL season and, as such, his fifth training camp, which officially started on Wednesday.

“It does not feel like five years has gone by. It’s just a blessing to still be in this position and still be in a position to play at a high level,” he said.

So what’s changed over these five years?

“I still have the same hunger and the same drive, but my mentality is different in the aspect of how I approach the game,” Metcalf said. “I know I have a bunch of rookies behind me asking a lot of questions, so it’s just transitioning to, alright, I’m not the young guy anymore – I’m answering questions for the young guys. Just taking what Bobby (Wagner) and (Russell Wilson) and (Tyler) Lockett taught me my first few years in the league and just applying it to my life and giving them the same bits and pieces they gave me.”

In June, Metcalf admitted to reporters that he struggled a bit with leadership last year as he tried to be a more vocal leader with Wagner (who returned to Seattle this offseason after playing with the Rams in 2022) and Wilson no longer with the team. He was asked about his leadership style on Wednesday by Brock and Salk.

“I’m not the talkative person that’s going to get you hyped before a game. I like my actions to speak louder than my words,” he said. “Just how I approach practice and how I approach things, a lot of people feed off of that, a lot of people are going to watch how I do things. So (I’m just trying) to put my best foot forward for them to try to mimic me so they can be the best person that they can be in practice and then translate it to the game.”

Former NFL quarterback Brock Huard asked Metcalf if he felt he needed to learn about his leadership style last season.

“Yes sir. I think it’s better in Year 4 than in Year 5, 6 or 7 that I learned that,” he said. “I know a little bit more about myself and how I need to approach the game more this year than I ever learned in the previous years because I’ve always had dogs around me whether that’s going back to high school, college or when I first got here. So I think learning that in Year 4 really just helped me develop my skills and my personality and who I am on the field and off the field.”

Listen to Brock and Salk’s full interview with DK Metcalf at this link or in the player near the top of this story.

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