First, it was Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf who wanted out. He requested a trade from the team, and that was announced on the same day Seattle released fellow receiver Tyler Lockett. It was poor timing by Metcalf and/or his agent and proved to be disrespectful. But as it turns out, at least one other Seahawk was also feeling the same way Metcalf was.
On the same Thursday, quarterback Geno Smith reportedly requested a trade as well. This is according to FOX Sports NFL analysis Jordan Schultz. You know him, right? He is the guy that got into a brouhaha with the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport at a Starbucks the week of the 2025 NFL Combine. In other words, Schultz is likely to stand firmly behind his reporting.
Seattle was facing an unusual dilemma for the organization. Under former head coach Pete Carroll, 12s rarely heard about a player being unable, unless one could safely assume that player was nearly always unhappy wherever they played. But with Carroll gone and general manager John Schneider firmly in charge, the complaints are getting more numerous.
Seattle Seahawks were left with little choice but to trade quarterback Geno Smith
Does this imply that the culture of the Seahawks has changed? Maybe. According to a recent NFLPA report card for each team, Seattle players like new head coach Mike Macdonald a lot, but many players do not seem to like ownership. The broader term for that could be management, so maybe players are not appreciating how Schneider is doing business.
What is clear is that contract extension talks broke down between the Seahawks and Smith's agents, and there is no obvious way of getting closer in the amount of dollars and years. Those same 12s that assume and laugh at Smith wanting at least $40 million a season, that is not only the going rate of many veteran NFL quarterbacks now, but he is likely to get that from the Las Vegas Raiders.
Seattle could also not go into next season with an unhappy quarterback, as that could affect the mood in the locker room of one of the younger teams in the league. Smith is not a bad person, but if he is upset, he shows it. One can see that when things go poorly on the field.
Seattle was left with doing nothing else but trade the quarterback, based on Schultz's report. Now, the team is forced to start over at quarterback and hope that the new guy can be as efficient as Smith was for most of his three seasons as a starter for the Seahawks. Anything less, and the team is doomed in 2025.
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