SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

If Seahawks trade DK Metcalf, there’s a team to watch

Jan 21, 2025, 5:18 PM

One of the biggest decisions looming for the Seattle Seahawks this offseason centers on star wide receiver DK Metcalf.

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With one season left on the three-year, $72 million contract extension he signed in July 2022, the 27-year-old Metcalf undoubtedly will be looking for a new deal that keeps him on pace with the league’s booming wide receiver market. And with other Seahawks also in line for potential extensions – including veteran quarterback Geno Smith – it’s possible Metcalf could command more money and salary cap space than Seattle is willing to commit.

On Tuesday, an article from ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler added speculation to that idea. As part of a piece that runs every January, ESPN asked NFL team executives, scouts and personnel figures to forecast the biggest storylines across the league for 2025. One of the nine predictions Fowler included: The Seahawks will trade Metcalf to the Los Angeles Chargers.

“The Seahawks can still get good value for him, and he could pair with (rookie wide receiver) Ladd McConkey for a good inside-out tandem,” an NFL coordinator said of Seattle trading Metcalf to the Chargers, according to Fowler. “(Justin) Herbert to Metcalf would be scary. I think (Los Angeles) will be looking to help the quarterback in a big way.”

With a rare combination of size, speed and strength, Metcalf has had a highly productive start to his career since being drafted by the Seahawks in 2019. Along with Hall of Famer Randy Moss, Metcalf is one of just two receivers in NFL history with at least 50 catches, 900 yards and five touchdowns in each of their first six seasons.

However, Metcalf has finished among the league’s top 10 in receiving yardage only once in his six-year career. After ranking seventh in receiving yards in 2020, he was 27th in 2021, 16th in 2022, 18th in 2023 and tied for 25th in 2024.

This past season, Metcalf was on a career-best pace with 568 receiving yards through Seattle’s first seven games – including a franchise-record three straight 100-yard receiving performances in Weeks 2-4. But after missing two games with an MCL sprain, Metcalf’s production dropped off over the second half of the season. That coincided with a breakout second half from 2023 first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who took over as the Seahawks’ top wideout with a 1,130-yard campaign.

Metcalf’s $24 million-per-year average currently ranks 13th among NFL receivers, according to Over The Cap.

“Metcalf is still in his prime at age 27 and is a challenge for opposing defensive coordinators,” Fowler wrote. “But Jaxon Smith-Njigba received more targets than Metcalf among Seattle receivers this season – 8.1 to 7.2 targets per game – and Metcalf, a projected 2026 free agent, likely needs a new contract, which won’t be cheap.”

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If Seahawks trade DK Metcalf, there’s a team to watch