Von Miller shouldn't feel too badly. He had a chance to join the Seattle Seahawks last offseason, but he decided to go to the Washington Commanders instead. DK Metcalf and Geno Smith also missed their opportunities to help Seattle win a title.
The difference between Miller and the other two is that he hadn't been a long-time member of the Seahawks. He was a veteran who had won two championships before (once in 2016 with the Denver Broncos and again in 2022 with the Los Angeles Rams), and he thought the Commanders could give him a better chance at number three.
Metcalf and Smith wanted out of the Pacific Northwest. Both requested trades, and general manager John Schneider honored those requests. He sent Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders so he could rejoin new Vegas head coach Pete Carroll. Metcalf was moved to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Von Miller, Geno Smith, and DK Metcalf all missed out on their title chance with the Seattle Seahawks
The moves were good for Seattle, clearly, but for more than what happened during games. Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp, the most direct replacements for Smith and Metcalf, respectively, were much better for the team's culture than the more volatile former quarterback and wide receiver.
Would Seattle have won the Super Bowl if the team still had Smith and Metcalf? Doubtful. Their requests to leave the team they had been with for many years proved to be their undoing.
Smith was run out of Las Vegas after a season when he was highly ineffective. He was traded to the New York Jets this offseason.
Metcalf underperformed with the Steelers while also striking a fan during a game. None of that likely surprised Seahawks fans. Kupp, of course, was a valued voice in the Seattle locker room, helping the young players in a way Metcalf is incapable of.
Von Miller, though, was recently open about deciding not to sign with the Seattle Seahawks last offseason. He said as much on an episode of the 89 Podcast with Steve Smith Sr. and James Palmer.
The edge rusher said, "Obviously, I picked the wrong team on that one...For me, with the Washington Commanders, I just felt like Jayden Daniels was poised for another great season. His rookie season went all the way to the NFC Championship, and last year, he got hit with injuries, not just at the quarterback position, but all over the place. And those are some of the things that you just can’t calculate on teams."
At least Von Miller was thinking logically. Geno Smith and DK Metcalf appeared to be thinking emotionally when they asked to leave Seattle. None of them succeeded in 2025, however.
The irony is that Miller is a free agent again, and he seems to want to play somewhere. He is 37 years old, but was still quite good last season. He had nine sacks and 15 quarterback hits. He probably won't end up with the Seahawks, though. The team added Dante Fowler Jr. in free agency. Miller would have no spot.
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