Just minutes after the Seahawks released Tyler Lockett, a bombshell broke involving another receiver as it was revealed that that DK Metcalf has requested a trade and has been granted permission to pursue one.
A league source confirmed to the Seattle Times that Metcalf has requested a trade.
Metcalf is entering the final season of a three-year, $72 million contract he signed in July, 2022 and the two sides have been talking about a new deal.
ESPN, which was among those first to report the news, stated that Metcalf’s request came after “a series of conversations over the past two weeks” and that Metcalf “prefers a contender.”
He is due to make $18,000,471 in 2025, with none of it guaranteed. His contract includes a cap hit of $31.875 million, third highest for a receiver in the NFL this season. Seattle would save $10.875 million with a trade.
It was known Metcalf had been pursuing a new deal with the team, which is common for players entering their final season of their contract.
Being allowed to pursue a trade means Metcalf could talk to other teams and try to hammer out a contract before a trade would officially be made.
Metcalf, 27, just completed his sixth season with the team after arriving as a second-round pick in 2019. He ranks fourth on the team’s all-time TD receiving list with 48.
Metcalf’s uncertain contract situation had led to much conjecture over the past few weeks about his future, including some rumors of possible trades.
But Wednesday marked a change in the tenor of the story with the news that Metcalf has officially requested a trade. Sources had said last week that the team was not actively shopping Metcalf but that because of Metcalf’s contract situation, teams were calling and that general manager and president of football operations John Schneider would have no choice but to listen.
Schneider was asked at last week’s NFL scouting combing “where things stand” with Metcalf.
“Where do things stand?” Schneider responded a little bit incredulously in response. “I’m not sure. He’s on our team. He’s a big, strong, fast, physical receiver.”
If he stayed in Seattle, Metcalf would also be preparing to learn a third different offense in three years with Seattle, following the firing of Ryan Grubb in January, who had become the new offensive coordinator replacing Shane Waldron when Mike Macdonald was hired as head coach to replace Pete Carroll.
Klint Kubiak was hired later in January to take over for Grubb, with the aim of specifically improving the team’s running game.
However, both also spoke optimistically of getting Metcalf more involved after a season in which he had 66 receptions for 992 yards and five touchdowns.
“I’ll tell you this, every candidate had how we’re going to use DK definitely at the top of their mind,” Macdonald said last month. “It’s great to hear different visions throughout the league of how guys saw him. I think Klint (Kubiak) has probably the best vision out of all those guys. But, we have to go through the process of how you do it. It’s how you can move him around, how you can take care of matchups, the route tree that’s available on how we want to build it. So, the track record’s there. Just like what they did in Minnesota with Justin Jefferson as a rookie, Chris Olave last year. All of these premiere wideouts, in this system, especially under Klint, has really come to life.”
Macdonald defended Metcalf’s production in 2024 when asked about him last last week’s scouting combine, noting he was among the league leaders in targets before suffering a sprained knee in week seven at Atlanta. Metcalf had three straight 100-yard games early in the season, which tied a team record.
“We want to get the ball to DK,” Macdonald said. “We want to make sure that he’s a focal point in our offense, for sure.”
But as of Wednesday, the question is whether Metcalf will even be a Seahawk by next week.
This story will be updated.
