Pete Carroll Show: Seahawks’ duo of Russell Wilson, DK Metcalf may be about to take off

The long Seahawks’ offseason is two days from ending, and so much of the attention has been on what Seattle added between their second-round playoffs exit in January and Sunday’s Week 1 meeting with the Atlanta Falcons.

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As much as the trade for Jamal Adams and signings of players like Greg Olsen and Bruce Irvin mean for Seattle, though, there’s another storyline that’s on the verge of paying off, and that’s the connection of quarterback Russell Wilson and second-year wide receiver DK Metcalf.

The pair have spent a lot of time working together, and head coach Pete Carroll couldn’t be more happy with where both stand going into the season. Even by the standards of someone known for his positivity and enthusiasm like Carroll is, his comments about both Wilson and Metcalf could lead you to think the Seahawks’ offense may reach some historic heights in 2020.

“They have developed a chemistry that was necessary that you see every day on the field,” the coach said on The Pete Carroll Show, which you can hear on KIRO Radio 97.3  FM’s Dori Monson’s Show Friday afternoon. “Russ loves throwing the ball to (Metcalf) and going to him on an array of things.”

The 22-year-old Metcalf made quite the impact with 900 receiving yards as a rookie, and the hulking 6-foot-4, 229-pounder has impressed Carroll by showing a strong commitment to making the most of his abilities.

“It’s so inspiring to see, DK realized – I don’t know when the light turned on for him, it might have been quite a while ago, but he knows he can be great. He knows he has the skills and the opportunity and the mentality to be a great performer, and he’s not going to miss the chance. He’s just not going to take a backwards step at any time. Whatever he can do to make himself great,” Carroll said.

The proof has been on the field in training camp, and all signs point to it continuing in his second year as a pro.

“He’s had one great day after another after another after another out here – has not had a bad day yet,” Carroll said. “… And he’s not just a guy who can just run real fast. He can run routes, he can get across the field, he can run up the field. He’s really something. It’s been exciting to see because he’s so talented, and to see this kind of attitude to go along with that, he’s not going to miss this opportunity.”

Metcalf’s been turning heads, which is something that is a little harder for the 31-year-old Wilson to do as a perennial MVP candidate entering his ninth year with Seattle. The QB is impressing Carroll just as much as Metcalf, though.

“He’s in the most command of the offense, he’s got so many things he can do now with it,” Carroll said of Wilson. “You’ll see him dictate tempo and stuff when it’s necessary and the opportunity arises. He’ll have really great command of the game, the best that he’s ever had. It’s been a process of the coaches growing with Russ and Russ growing with the coaches so that they can really get on a really high level of communication.”

Wilson’s leadership was on display even when the Seahawks were limited to meeting virtually when restrictions due to COVID-19 necessitated it early on in the offseason.

“Russ was really significant during the offseason, during all the ZOOM meetings and stuff, he played a big role as he led the guys through situations and the timing of things and he was just an integral part of it,” Carroll said. “Fans should know he’s given everything he’s got to get to this point.”

Carroll also talked at length about preparing for games without fans in attendance, his impressions of new star safety Jamal Adams, a preview of the Seahawks-Falcons matchup and more. You can hear The Pete Carroll Show on both Seattle’s Morning News and The Dori Monson Show every Friday on KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, and you can find podcasts of the show at this link after the airings.

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