Tyler Lockett said in his post-game Week 18 press conference that he did not plan on retirement currently, but what he didn't say spoke volumes. He talked about thinking during the game how this could be the final game he plays for the Seattle Seahawks and how it was important to him to catch a pass near the end of the game against the first team he played against, the Los Angeles Rams.
The wide receiver even mentioned to the media that maybe if general manager John Schneider was called to the podium he would have a better idea of if he was going to be back with the team in 2025. Still, Lockett thanked a lot of the staff of Seattle, from trainers to front office staff, in a way that most other players do not.
Lockett is expensive to keep next season for a player who is expected to be the third option at wide receiver and will be 33 years old. Jaxon Smith-Njigba appears to be the Seahawks' alpha moving forward, and DK Metcalf is not far behind. Should Lockett return, he still won't get a lot of opportunities, and Seattle would likely have just as much production from a rookie as Lockett.
Tyler Lockett might have given his last press conference as a member of the Seattle Seahawks
The receiver is all class, however. If he is truly done then he seems OK with that. He said he would always be a Seahawk no matter what happened. To be honest, he will be. Seeing him play in a different uniform would be extremely odd and nearly impossible for some 12s, and one might assume if Lockett decides to retire instead of being released that he would be happy to leave knowing he only played for Seattle.
He mentioned as much in the press conference, pointing out his 10 seasons with the team. He and his wife are about to have their first child. Lockett is healthy and has a post-NFL life, ready to run a real estate company.
12s might not be ready to let Lockett go. Maybe the receiver is not ready either. At some point, though, financial decisions need to be made and Tyler Lockett might be one of them for the Seattle Seahawks.