SEATTLE – Just minutes after the Seattle Seahawks released Tyler Lockett Wednesday morning, a bombshell broke involving another receiver as it was learned 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. The request came after talks over the last week or so with news of it being revealed Wednesday morning.
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. Seattle has routinely signed core players to extensions before they play the final seasons of their contracts.
Metcalf’s cap hit of $31.875 million for 2025 is the highest among receivers after moves in recent days, including the Jets’ release of Davante Adams, and Seattle has been hoping to get a new deal done with Metcalf to assure his future as well as create cap space.
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.”
That the news was revealed shortly after the Seahawks had officially released Lockett – which they had waited to do on a day that they hoped could be a celebration of Lockett’s decade-long Seahawks career – was said to have not been received overly well among some within the organization.
Metcalf does not have a no-trade clause, unlike Russell Wilson did when he was dealt to Denver in 2022, and the Seahawks are not expected to rush into a deal with Metcalf under contract for the 2025 season.
A source said that as of Wednesday morning, nothing is imminent. And it remains possible that the Seahawks and Metcalf could still work out an extension – or that the team simply keeps Metcalf and he plays out the final year of his contract, even if that’s not ideal. As of Wednesday, all options appeared still on the table.
This is the time of year, however, when things move quickly with the NFL free-agent negotiating period beginning Monday and the new league year beginning Wednesday.
The news comes as Seattle is also in negotiations on a new contract for quarterback Geno Smith, who like Metcalf has one year remaining on his deal. It’s unclear how talks with Smith could be impacted by the news of Metcalf’s trade request, which also opens the possibility that the team could have a vastly re-made receiving corps in 2025.
With Lockett released and Metcalf potentially gone, third-year player Jaxon Smith-Njigba would be the only receiver left with regular starting experience
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Metcalf does not live in Seattle during the offseason, in recent years having typically spent his time in the Los Angeles area.
Indications are that the Seahawks were not aware of any specific discontent from Metcalf until the talks in recent days.
Metcalf is due to make $18,000,471 in 2025, with none of it guaranteed. Seattle would save $10.875 million in cap space with a trade.
Metcalf’s per-year average of $24 million is the 13th highest of receivers heading into 2025.
He is represented by Tory Dandy of Creative Artist Agency, who also worked out the previous deal between the Seahawks and Metcalf.
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. But the Seahawks also have to agree to a trade to make it work.
Metcalf’s uncertain contract situation had led to much conjecture over the past few weeks about his future, including some rumors of possible trades.
Wednesday, though, 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 had not been 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.”
The news comes in the wake of what has already been an eventful off-season for NFL receivers.
Rams standout Cooper Kupp also revealed that LA plans to trade him, the Jets released Adams on Tuesday, the 49ers traded Deebo Samuel to Washington last week for a fifth-round pick, and it’s also been reported teams have called the 49ers about the availability of Brandon Aiyuk.
However, Metcalf may also he hoping to take advantage of what is regarded as a weak year for receivers both in the free agency market and in the draft, which would mean the Seahawks will get better offers than they might have in some other years.
Speculation about possible trade suitors for Metcalf is sure to include the Las Vegas Raiders, who in January hired former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, for whom Metcalf played for five seasons.
Another team that was immediately mentioned is the Chargers, whose receivers coach is Sanjay Lal, who had two different stints with the Seahawks during which time he became especially close to Metcalf. Rumors last week also stated that the Seahawks and Green Bay had been in talks. However, one source indicated the two sides had not had any actual trade discussions involving Metcalf.
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 and last year joined Hall of Famer Randy Moss as the only players in NFL history with 50 receptions, 900 yards and five touchdowns in each of their first six seasons.
In his last press conference of the 2024 season, a few days before a 30-25 win over the Rams, Metcalf spoke optimistically of the team’s future under first-year coach Mike Macdonald.
“I think just the way we fought through adversity is something to build on for next season,” said Metcalf before a win which gave Seattle a 10-7 record, the best of any team that did not make the post-season. “You know, this was a lot of our first years together, and everything we can just build on for next year and come back stronger, fix our mistakes and just be better for next year.”
But the day after the win over the Rams, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb was fired, which meant Metcalf would be learning a third offense in three years in 2025.
Klint Kubiak was hired later in January to take over for Grubb.. And while Kubiak was hired in part with the hope he will revive a lagging rushing attack, he and Macdonald also both spoke optimistically of how his scheme could get 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 (in New Orleans) 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 at 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, setting 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.