The writing has been on the wall for several months. Now, what seemed unthinkable a year ago seems to be on the verge of happening. Seahawks’ star receiver DK Metcalf has requested a trade, and Seattle has said it will consider it.
In the NFL, that doesn’t guarantee a trade will happen, but it comes pretty close. By the time both parties publicly announce an impending split, it usually means the player already has his bags packed and has engaged a realtor.
The Seahawks have a bad salary cap situation, and Metcalf is scheduled to take up a lot of space – almost 32 million dollars – in 2025. With a dead cap hit of about $21 million, the Seahawks could create $10,875,471 in cap space by moving him.
Seattle Seahawks could ship wide receiver DK Metcalf to one of these Super Bowl contenders
Besides, it seems to be de rigueur in the NFC West this offseason to put a high-end receiver on the trading block. San Francisco has already agreed to deal away Deebo Samuel, and the Rams are still fielding offers for Cooper Kupp. Metcalf instantly goes to the top of the list for any team thinking they may be just one big-play weapon away from Super Bowl contention.
At 27, he should be entering his prime. He is younger than both Samuel and Kupp. Even with a down 2024 season, he has been far more productive than either of them in recent years. Over the last two seasons, DK has caught 132 passes and averaged 16 yards-per-catch.
He has scored 13 touchdowns. Those numbers are down a bit from what he did in his Pro Bowl year of 2020, but they are still dynamic. There are any number of good teams who he makes much better the moment he walks through the door.
Lets check out four of the most likely contenders to acquire DK Metcalf.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Future Hall of Famer Mike Evans will be 32 by the time the 2025 season kicks off. His running mate, Chris Godwin, is a pending free agent. Last year’s third-round pick, Jalen McMillan, showed some promise. But Baker Mayfield is going to need another weapon.
The Bucs have assembled a good team in a weak division. They have a decent defense but generally rely on their offense to win games in 2024. Metcalf is the closest thing there may be in the league to Evans, and Evans, despite his sensational fountain-of-youth career, will have to slow down at some point.
They can play together for a year, striking long-ball fear into every defense they encounter, and then Tampa can decide how to move forward. If Evans ever does slow down, Metcalf would seem to be a natural successor.
There are two marks against any potential deal with Tampa. The Bucs do not currently have a very good cap situation, so affording Metcalf would require some creative roster juggling. And Seattle may prefer to trade Metcalf entirely out of the conference.
3. Houston Texans
Like Tampa, Houston does not have a very good cap situation right now. But I think Demeco Ryans would do everything in his power to add a player of Metcalf’s explosiveness to his offense. He knows the receiver very well from his days as a defensive coordinator in San Francisco.
Houston is a team on the rise. They have an excellent young quarterback and an aggressive young defense. The Texans tried to provide C.J. Stroud with plenty of firepower last year, but injuries sabotaged the plan. Nico Collins was hurt early, and Tank Dell was hurt late. Stefon Diggs missed half the year. Diggs is a pending free agent who almost certainly will be departing, and Dell’s devastating knee injury makes his eventual return unknown.
Houston still has an elite wideout in Collins and a standout quarterback playing for rookie-contract money. Now is the time to strike. Collins and Metcalf would form arguably the most dangerous receiver tandem in the league.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh has the cap space to afford Metcalf. They have a mercurial-but-inconsistent receiver in George Pickens. Adding Metcalf would give Mike Tomlin his most explosive offense since Ben Roethlisberger hung up his cleats.
Then there is the quarterback. No one knows who it will be right now, but there remains a pretty good chance it could be Russell Wilson. Metcalf began his career catching passes from Russ, and the pair functioned pretty well.
The Steelers have seemed mired in that middle-ground of the NFL for many years. They are above average. They often make the playoffs. Lately, they do not advance in those playoffs. They seem to be a team in dire need of an offensive spark. DK Metcalf is the biggest such spark currently on the market. Seeing him in a Steeler uniform makes all the sense in the world.
1. Denver Broncos
Except it might make even more sense to see him in Bronco orange. The Washington Commanders just went out and got Deebo Samuel because they recognized that their young star QB needs more weapons to reach his potential. Sean Payton clearly realizes that about Bo Nix as well.
Courtland Sutton hits free agency next year. The Broncos have a few other promising youngsters but no reliable playmaker. They also have built an excellent young defense. If they can provide Nix with additional firepower, they could make a huge move in the AFC West, perhaps even wrestle the crown away from Kansas City.
Metcalf instantly makes the Broncos' offense formidable. He stretches the field. He draws double teams. Paired with Sutton, he would cause matchup nightmares for opponents. It’s hard enough to cover one 6’4” talented receiver. Add a second one who’s even bigger and faster, and Bo Nix will be challenging defenses all over the field. Payton is a creative play-caller who would no doubt get the most out of his physically imposing receivers. And the Broncos have plenty of cap space.
I suspect that about half the league will be making inquiries about the Seahawks’ asking price. High-end, big-play receivers in their prime don’t come on the market every day. Ideally, John Schneider will get a lot of offers and will be able to drive the price up as high as possible. Any team one player away from a championship will be willing to pay a lot for a player like Metcalf.
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