Tyler Lockett was released by the Seattle Seahawks this week, but that only makes him a free agent who is able to sign with any team. That means he could come back to the Seahawks, and general manager John Schneider is certainly leaving the door open for a possible reunion. There could be concerns with the return, though.
Schneider spoke about Lockett on his Seattle Sports 710 AM weekly podcast and said he told Lockett, "Go out and see what’s shaking (on the market), and we’ll stay in touch." This implies several things.
One is that Lockett might still want to keep playing football. That, of course, is his decision, though one might wonder if someone in his position would rather retire as well. He has made enough money in his career to live well for the rest of his life, he could take time off in anticipation of his first child being born (Lockett's wife is currently pregnant), and he has a successful real estate business.
Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider would entertain bringing Tyler Lockett back
But he might also not be ready to give up playing football. He will be 33 years old early in the 2025 season, and he might have a year or two left to be somewhat productive. Is he going to be a WR1? No. He might not even be a team's WR2.
Of course, if the Seahawks do trade DK Metcalf this offseason, Lockett could return and actually be Seattle's WR2. Is that ideal? Nope. But it could be better than any other scenario. At least with Lockett, Seattle knows what to expect, and Lockett knows what to expect from the organization.
Plus, and this is important to Seahawks fans, seeing Lockett play football in a different jersey than the Seahawks would be very odd. The team has let him go, and if he signs elsewhere, good for him. The team would not (and should not) be upset with that. But that doesn't make 12s feel emotionally better. Jaxon Smith-Njigba might also feel better about having a proven veteran opposite him, especially if the situation could easily be that Metcalf was traded, and Lockett was released.
There is a decent chance that Lockett ends up with the Las Vegas Raiders. He and new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll worked together for most of a decade, so Lockett would feel comfortable there. Las Vegas also needs receiver help.
In other words, if the Seahawks try to lure Lockett back, the team could end up in a minor bidding war with its former coach's team. If Lockett left for the Raiders, that would certainly be an ugly look.
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