5 Seattle Seahawks players who likely won't be back in 2024
By Lee Vowell
The season is now done for the Seattle Seahawks. After exceeding expectations in 2022 and being in first place after seven games this year, the team slumped and finished 3-7. That unacceptable finish should mean changes are made this offseason.
Coach Pete Carroll is likely going to be the head coach in 2024 as well unless he decides to step down. There should be at least one coordinator change but Carroll is overly loyal and maybe those changes do not happen either. They should, but they likely won't.
But the roster will have some attrition as each NFL roster does every year. What follows are five players who make sense financially to not be back. Let's start with the toughest decision first.
No. 1 - Seattle Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett
No, I do not want Tyler Lockett going anywhere. I certainly do not want him playing in another team's uniform ever. But at some point, all players get less productive and their age might be a factor. Unlike a receiver such as DK Metcalf who even when he doesn't run as fast should still be able to use his size to be productive, Lockett is a smaller receiver who must his smarts and quickness to get open. He will always have the smarts, but he will not always be as quick.
Lockett also had his worst season since 2017 this year. He had fewer receiving yards, his lowest yards per catch, and fewest touchdown catches. He still caught a ton of balls, but he did less with them. Meanwhile, Metcalf had the highest yards per reception of his career. That would indicate it wasn't so much how the receivers were being used but in what they were able to do once they had the ball in their hands.
The biggest issue with Lockett moving forward, though, is the size of his contract. An aging, and possibly slowing, receiver who has a cap hit of $11,060,000 is one thing, but one who has a cap hit of $26,795,000 is another. Seattle could release Lockett and save $7 million. Plus, the team already has his replacement ready with Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Again, I hope Lockett doesn't leave as he has been a very good receiver and is an even better person. But paying him so much money for likely diminishing returns is simply bad business.