Seahawks GM Schneider addresses DK Metcalf and exploding WR market
Mar 25, 2022, 9:12 AM
DK Metcalf catches a pass in front of Jalen Ramsey of the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
With star quarterback Russell Wilson traded and All-Pro middle linebacker Bobby Wagner released, the next big question mark with the Seahawks is what happens next with DK Metcalf.
With WR market exploding, should Hawks trade or extend DK?
Metcalf, who is 24 years old and just finished his third NFL season, has emerged as one of the league’s best young receivers. And entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, the Seahawks’ young star is eligible for a contract extension for the first time since joining the league in 2019.
Metcalf is now even more of a focus as the receiver market has been extremely busy this offseason, both in trades and new contracts. That’s especially been the case over the last week.
First, the Green Bay Packers surprisingly traded Davante Adams, arguably the top receiver in football, to the Las Vegas Raiders for a first-round and second-round pick. Adams, 29, then signed a five-year extension worth up to $140 million, which came with over $65 million in guaranteed money.
Then on Wednesday, the Kansas City Chiefs made a surprise deal of their own, trading speedy receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks, including first- and second-round picks in this year’s draft. Hill, 28, then signed an four-year, $120 million extension with $72.2 million guaranteed.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider joined Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob Thursday afternoon, and one of the many things Schneider was asked about was Metcalf and the crazy market at wide receiver of late.
“You’ve got a wide receiver on your roster in DK Metcalf who’s in line for new contract entering the final year of his deal. He has said he wants to come back here, (head coach Pete Carroll) said you guys want him back,” host Bob Stelton said. “When you see the numbers out there, though – and I would assume his his expectation is to fall somewhere in the neighborhood of those – how do you feel about that? Is that doable? Obviously it makes it easier when you don’t have a quarterback you’re paying $35 million a year to, but when you’re talking about a receiver, how do you feel when you see those numbers? And does that give you more urgency to get it done now, rather than let him play the year out where the numbers might go even higher?”
Replied Schneider: “There’s a sense of shock when you see where the numbers are going, especially at that position.”
Schneider then made it known how special of a talent that Metcalf is and how highly he’s viewed within the Seahawks organization.
“Everybody loves DK. He’s a great player,” he said. “People have to game plan for him and he influences every single game that he’s a part of, whether it’s people shifting coverages his way or him just running straight through the coverage or having guys play man (coverage) where he’s just tossing people off him, right? He influences games, there’s no question about it. And we love him. Everybody in the building loves him.”
So what about a potential new deal for him?
“Specifically with extensions and contract situations, we don’t get into that,” Schneider said. “He’s an unbelievable player. It is a great question because when you look at it around the league, (because) now you’re looking at Davante and his deal and Mike Williams’ deal (for three years and $60 million with the Los Angeles Chargers) and obviously what happened with Tyreek.”
Listen to the full interview with Schneider at this link or in the player below.
