Why DK Metcalf can be the Seahawks next Steve Largent
DK Metcalf has the potential to develop into the Seahawks greatest receiver of all time. I’m not going to get ahead of myself at this point and say that DK could be a top-10 receiver of all time by the end of his career, but he can certainly be the Seahawks’ best by beating out Steve Largent.
Let’s take a look at Largent’s career stats and see if DK has a path to besting him.
DK Metcalf could be Seahawks best receiver ever
Largent’s Stats
Largent played fourteen seasons for the Seahawks, from 1976 to 1989. He had 819 receptions for 13,089 yards and 100 touchdowns. This is an average of 59 catches, 935 yards and 7.2 touchdowns per season.
Largent is the consensus greatest receiver in Seahawk history and most fans consider him a top-3 franchise player along with Russ and Walter Jones. While these stats are great, they’re not unreachable. The benefit Largent had was the longevity of his time in Seattle.
Metcalf’s Stats
As for Metcalf, he’s only had 2 seasons of play for the Seahawks. Over those two seasons, DK has 141 receptions for 2,203 yards and 17 touchdowns. This leads his averages to be 71 catches for 1,101 yards and 8.5 touchdowns per season. Clearly, his averages over the first two years are better. He averages 12 more catches, 166 more yards and 1 more touchdown than Steve Largent each season.
The Difference-Maker
The deciding factor in whether DK will catch Largent in Seahawks history is obvious: it’s Russell Wilson. Largent played his whole career with a combination of Jim Zorn and Dave Krieg, where DK will presumably be playing with a Hall of Fame quarterback in Wilson for the majority of his career. My only concern is the Seahawks’ ability to pay Metcalf.
No doubt he will want premier receiver money when his rookie deal is up after the 2022 season, and by then that may be up to $25 million a year. But the salary cap will continue to go up, and I think it’s safe to assume that Seattle has a plan to keep DK Metcalf on the team.
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So, if the Seahawks are able to keep Russ and DK Metcalf together for the remainder of Wilson’s career (which I would bet is around 8 more seasons), it may not take Metcalf 14 years to pass Largent. At the rate he’s played during his first two seasons catching balls from Russell, I think it may only take him 10 or 11.