Tyler Lockett, more than other great receivers who were taller and heavier, was always chasing Father Time faster than others. The former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver has seen his production greatly diminish for a few years now. He no longer had his elite quickness to rely on.
As all 12s know, though: Lockett deserved a better ending than not choosing his own path to finish his career. Instead, he bounced around the NFL a bit over the last two seasons. He remains unsigned, and just a few weeks remain before teams begin training camps.
This implies that no team is thinking of involving Lockett in their plans for 2026. The Seahawks certainly aren't. The team would have no space, even for the elite human being that Lockett is. He's one of the best wide receivers in the history of the organization, but his true on-field value ended three years ago. (Lockett, to be sure, will always have elite value off the field.)
Former Seattle Seahawks icon Tyler Lockett could be looking at life after football
One of the most regretful things about Seattle needing to let Lockett go after the 2024 season (his cap hit was far too high for a receiver with his production) is that the team won the Super Bowl in the following season. That is a chance Lockett never got.
Seattle's wideout room is currently too crowded with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed (the player who provides a lot of the same attributes that Lockett used to have), Cooper Kupp, and the nearly forgotten (in national NFL circles) Tory Horton, to add a player like Lockett. He no longer has the elite quickness he once had.
Last season, after he was released by the Seahawks, Lockett played for two teams. First, with the Tennessee Titans but was underused, and the receiver asked for his release. He then signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, reuniting with former Seattle head coach Pete Carroll. Over the course of the season, Lockett caught just 32 passes and averaged just 9.1 yards per reception.
Many 12s might hope that Tyler Lockett rejoins the Seattle Seahawks on a one-day contract so that he retires with the team that chose him in the third round of the 2015 draft. He was immediately impactful as a kick returner and eventually turned into a WR1.
By the time his career was finished in Seattle, he ranked second all-time in receiving yards (8,594), second in touchdowns (61), and second in receptions. All those numbers trailed Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Largent.
Maybe those statistics will be exceeded by Jaxon Smith-Njigba one day, but the memories of what Lockett brought to the Seahawks as a team and the Pacific Northwest on the whole won't fade away. He was a remarkable player and even better human being. He just deserved a better ending to his NFL career.
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