Seahawks DK Metcalf is being played, and he doesn't even know it

DK Metcalf is an exceptional player. That doesn't mean the Seattle Seahawks should make exceptions for his continued poor actions on the field. At some point, even the greatest players have to be held accountable for their mistakes. He says he won't change how he plays, but he's the one being played.

Before I am deluged with comments along deeply thought-provoking and well-considered lines such as, "Haters gonna hate", "Football is for real men", and similar masterful commentary, I like DK Metcalf. I like almost everything he does on the football field. I like everything I've read about or seen that he does off the field as well. He seems to be just as fine a person as he is a player.

And he is certainly one heck of a player. I wrote that he'd have a rookie season worthy of a Hall of Fame player before he took a single snap in the NFL, even before his first preseason game. If you remember, a lot of national media was busy whining that he didn't have a good route tree. Don't tell me I'm not a fan.

So yes, I really like what DK Metcalf has brought to the Seahawks. He's an aggressive player and typically fights for every inch of real estate. Any defender that tries to stop him knows they're in for a full day's work. Metcalf is explosive in the best sense of the word. Unfortunately, he's also explosive in the worst sense. There is absolutely no reason for him to continue to make these ridiculous penalties. And there is no reason for the Seahawks to tolerate them.

Seattle Seahawks need DK Metcalf to change his attitude

Before I get into the details, let me clear up what seems to be an all too common misconception among some 12s. As I already stated most clearly, I'm a big fan of DK Metcalf. Here's a life lesson for those who are in the all-or-nothing camp: You don't have to accept every single action of a person to appreciate them.

Do you honestly believe that in every relationship you have, whether it be a spouse, significant other, friend, or whatever, you've accepted every single action of theirs wholeheartedly? Your husband used the good scissors *again* to cut a sheet of cardboard or "forgot" to take out the trash for the third time this month, and you never thought a thing about it. Your wife threw out that copy of Sports Illustrated that had that article on page 37 about Rufus Porter, and you agreed, yep, time to clear up this clutter.

If you really believe that, you're insulting your own intelligence, not mine. Of course, you said something to them. That doesn't mean you love them any less. You just asked them not to make that same mistake again, please, and thank you for the love of all that is holy or I swear to - yeah, see? You have* been there.

That's the situation I'm in with DK Metcalf. He's a terrific player, and as far as I know, an even better human being. That doesn't mean I'm going to just smile and say, "Well, that's DK just being himself" when he draws another stupid penalty. Yes, it's absolutely stupid to get flagged for a personal foul or unsportsmanlike conduct. That's why it's called unsportsmanlike: not fair or respectful actions toward an opposing player. A personal foul: unnecessary roughness, including violent contact with an opponent who is away from and out of a play. So let's look at the latest of DK's hit parade:

In case you forgot, this was 30 yards away from the play. For those apologists out there - and yes I do know that Pete Carroll was one of them - that said he was blocking on the play, really? In what universe does a player shove an opponent to the turf, and then casually walk back to the line of scrimmage? As Tim Weaver wrote for USA Today's Seahawks Wire, this is getting old. Yes, it is indeed getting old. We've talked about Metcalf's penalties on the 12thManRising podcast several times, and sadly, I'm sure we'll talk about them in the future.