Five potential landing spots for Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf in 2025

The rage might be great. How can anyone suggest that DK Metcalf be traded by the Seattle Seahawks? Other team sites can do that, sure, such as writers who cover the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have written an untold number of articles about Metcalf going to Pittsburgh.

Metcalf is the best wide receiver Seattle has and is signed through 2025. 12s can have their favorite receivers. Many love Jaxon Smith-Njigba and likely even more like Tyler Lockett, and for good reason. Both are seemingly good people who are good at their jobs.

But Metcalf is the alpha in the Seattle wide receiver room as proven by him leading the team in receiving yards in 2023 (by 220 yards), receiving touchdowns (by three), and yards per catch (5.6 yards per reception over any other wide receiver).

Five potential trade partners for the Seattle Seahawks for DK Metcalf in 2025

Next offseason, however, Seattle has an issue. The team is negative-$20,483,753 in effective cap space, according to Over the Cap, and that means changes have to be made. Possibly Lockett retires or is released. That would save the team $17 million. Potentially, Geno Smith is released which saves Seattle $25 million. Or the team might dangle Metcalf as a trade piece.

As opposed to nearly any other veteran on the team not still on their rookie contract, DK Metcalf has trade value. Smith won't bring back a first-round choice. Lockett might bring back a fourth-rounder. Uchenna Nwosu, Leonard Williams, and Dre'Mont Jones are expensive and also would not give the Seahawks a high-round draft pick in return for trading them.

Should Seattle trade Metcalf, the team would lose an excellent receiver, but also save $22 million in 2025. That number by itself puts Seattle back in plus territory in cap room. Moreover, Seattle should be able to get a first-round choice back for him. Here are five teams who might want to make a move for the receiver.

Pittsburgh Steelers might want some help for Russell Wilson

Let's throw out Metcalf catching passes from Wilson at a recent workout. NFL players get together with players from other teams all the time in the offseason. The one bit that might have made the Wilson-to-Metcalf connection a bit odd was that they were rumored to not get along very well after Wilson left Seattle two years ago. This is seemingly not the case, though.

Wilson is only on a one-year contract with Pittsburgh but if he proves to be efficient, the Steelers could keep him around for a couple of more seasons. He already - obviously - has a rapport with Metcalf and adding the receiver would greatly augment Pittsburgh's offensive potential. Pittsburgh is so close to being dangerous that getting a player the caliber of Metcalf would probably get them into the playoffs.

Even after paying Wilson (assuming he sticks on the team past 2024), the Steelers should have more than enough cap room for Metcalf. Currently, Pittsburgh has the third-most cap space in the league next offseason at $77,229,216. The Steelers could send Seattle their first-round selection in 2025 and then a second-or-third-round pick in 2026.