Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider doesn't mind trades. He has pulled off a number of them since the preseason. None have been extremely impactful or involved a big-name player, but that cannot be ruled out. Seattle's season appears to be spiraling downward, and the team doesn't have much cap room in 2025. Is it time Seattle ships off a player such as DK Metcalf?
According to Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post, teams are calling Schneider to see if Metcalf might be available. So far, obviously, the answer is no. That doesn't mean a team won't up its offer for Metcalf to one Schneider would have issues refusing.
Metcalf is a great receiver, but he is also an expensive one. His cap hit next season is north of $30 million and he will want a new deal beginning in 2026. The time to trade Metcalf could be now if Seattle wants to get the maximum return for his services.
Three potential landing spots for Seahawks' DK Metcalf in a trade
Washington Commanders
The Commanders are one of the more surprising teams in the NFL and are led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels who was much more prepared for the next level than many thought. Washington has wide receiver Terry McLaurin, but pairing McLaurin with Metcalf would give Washington one of the better receiving duos in the league. It would also improve their chances for the NFC East crown.
Washington also has the draft capital that Seattle would want, though again, a first-round choice has to be included in the deal for the Seahawks to get real value. The Commanders do have two third-round draft picks in 2025, so Seattle could get potentially a first-round choice and a third-rounder. The Commanders can also afford Metcalf because Daniels is on his rookie deal, and the team has $123 million in cap room next offseason.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos and Seahawks are clearly no strangers to making earth-shattering trades. In 2022, Seattle shipped quarterback Russell Wilson to the Broncos, though Wilson washed out with the team after only two seasons. Denver drafted Bo Nix this year, and he needs a quality receiver to help improve the Broncos' offense.
Denver does have a first-round choice in 2025, but Seattle might need to ask for a veteran player as well. Like every team on this list, Denver can afford Metcalf's cap hit of $32 million next year, and could sign him to an extension as Nix won't be up for a new deal until likely after 2028. Nix to Metcalf could be the new Wilson to Tyler Lockett.
Chicago Bears
The Bears have the least amount of cap space of the three teams here, but they still have $73 million next offseason and a quarterback on a rookie deal. The advantage that Chicago has is that their offensive coordinator, Shane Waldron, coached Metcalf in Seattle for a number of years. There would be a built-in rapport.
The hitch could be that Chicago doesn't want to send their first-round pick in 2025 to Seattle. The Bears do have two second-round choices, though. Might that be enough to entice general manager John Schneider to trade Seattle's best receiver?