There is hope for nearly every NFL team that they will do well in any given season. Some teams know they are going to be bad, but the Seattle Seahawks haven't thought this about themselves in more than a decade.
There were times when Seattle assumed it was going to be great, of course. Expecting to only make the playoffs in 2013 and 2014 would have been setting one's outlook too low. But even in the 7-10 season of 2021, Seattle didn't know it was not going to be good.
This coming season, however? There is really no way to know what to expect from the Seahawks because the offense has undergone so many changes. Quarterback Geno Smith was traded, but trading wide receiver DK Metcalf might be general manager John Schneider's biggest gamble.
Seahawks' trade for DK Metcalf continues to get rave reviews (for the Steelers)
No matter who was the quarterback for the team, they could assume that Metcalf was going to scare defenses with his ability to create explosive plays. This dangerous element helped create space for Jaxon Smith-Njigba and helped allow JSN to have a huge season last year. With no one like Metcalf on the team, there will be more focus on Smith-Njigba.
CBS Sports' Jeff Kerr is one of many to notice the Metcalf move and speak highly of what the Pittsburgh Steelers did in acquiring Metcalf versus how the Seahawks receiving corps looks in 2025.
In a recent article ranking the best situations of traded players this offseason, Metcalf and the Steelers pairing ranks first. Kerr does go a bit too far in his praise, but is he wrong? The receiver being great with Pittsburgh would also mean the Seahawks didn't use him perfectly and would have been better off keeping him.
Kerr wrote, in part, "Metcalf's numbers should improve in Pittsburgh as he's the focal point of a good passing game. Would it be surprising if Metcalf has the same impact in Pittsburgh as A.J. Brown has had in Philadelphia?"
First of all, implying the Steelers' passing game is better with 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers than Seattle's was with Geno Smith is a stretch. This is especially true as Pittsburgh will probably want to run the ball more than Seattle did, which would limit the receiver's targets.
If Metcalf wanted more catches with the Seahawks, he should have been a better route-runner. That said, he might be with the Steelers if Rodgers holds the receiver more accountable for cutting his routes sharply instead of rounding them than Smith did.
Secondly, AJ Brown went to the Eagles who had a better offensive group around him, especially as Philly had DeVonta Smith and a far better offensive line than Pittsburgh is going to have. Plus, Brown is simply a better receiver than Metcalf as he uses his strength better and has better hands.
The truth is that John Schneider is still taking a gamble that a collective group of Kupp, Valdes-Scantling, and rookie Tory Horton can replace Metcalf's production. Injuries, inexperience, and poor play might keep that from happening, and that could limit the Seahawks' offense and keep them from a potential postseason run.
And yes, DK Metcalf did ask to be traded, but the Seahawks didn't have to do it. The wide receiver was under contract for one more year and would have had to honor that.