Tyler Lockett signed with the Tennessee Titans on Thursday, just hours before the 2025 NFL draft began. The Seattle Seahawks were not going to let Lockett come back, it seems, at least not for anywhere near the amount of money he will get from Tennessee. His deal is for one year and up to $6 million.
But now Lockett has an opportunity to help a rookie quarterback become great. Tennessee selected Cam Ward with the first pick in the draft. The Titans are not deep at receiver, and Lockett is going to be the kind of safety net he needs. The Titans are not likely to score tons of points, but Lockett's third-down ability should help them sustain drives.
For most of his career, the only two quarterbacks throwing passes to Lockett were veterans Russell Wilson and Geno Smith. He never had to help groom a rookie. Sure, Smith didn't start for years before becoming Seattle's QB1, but he had spent many years in the league.
Former Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett learns who his quarterback will be with the Titans
Lockett is also going to help Ward acclimate successfully to the league. A top draft pick not only has the weight of expectations on them, but they need to learn how to be suddenly extremely wealthy human beings and leaders in a community they might never have been.
The former Seahawks receiver will help Ward become a better quarterback than Ward might be if he didn't have Lockett, but the receiver will also help Ward be a good person. Or, continue to be the solid citizen he already is.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks will need to hope that Lockett's replacements, Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, can be productive on the field while also standing up off the field. In releasing Lockett, the Seahawks lost a good, though diminishing, receiver, but Seattle lost a great person.