With his rare combination of size, speed, and strength, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf is one of the most unique players in the NFL.
If the Seahawks decide to trade DK Metcalf, there’s a team to keep an eye on.
Metcalf has been one of the most consistently productive receivers, joining Hall of Famer Randy Moss as the only two players in NFL history to have at least 50 catches, 900 yards, and five touchdowns in each of their first six seasons.
However, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Metcalf has not fully established himself as one of the top five or top 10 wide receivers in the league.
He ranked seventh in receiving yards in 2020 with a career-high 1,303 yards, but that remains his only top-10 finish. He finished 34th as a rookie in 2019, 27th in 2021, 16th in 2022, 18th in 2023, and tied for 25th this past season.
These factors make Metcalf an interesting player as the Seahawks face an important offseason full of tough choices.
With one year left on his three-year, $72 million contract extension signed in July 2022, the 27-year-old Metcalf will likely be looking for a new deal that matches the rising wide receiver market.
However, with other Seahawks players, including veteran quarterback Geno Smith, also in line for extensions, Metcalf might ask for more money and salary cap space than Seattle is willing to offer.
Is Metcalf worth another large deal? Or, as suggested in an ESPN predictions article, should the Seahawks consider trading their star wide receiver while he is still in his prime?
During an appearance on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob last week, The Athletic’s Derrik Klassen explained why it’s hard to answer these questions.
“I genuinely think he is one of the trickiest players for me to value, because on one hand, he is a unique threat in terms of his speed and his size,” Klassen said. “But he also doesn’t (always) play to it. He is not a guy who I think does very well when you press him. I think when he has to make contested catches, he doesn’t really play up to his size.
“At the same time, it’s pretty obvious how teams treat him in terms of coverage and gravity when he is on the field, because of how fast and explosive he is. And I do think (it helps) having a player like that next to (wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba), who can be explosive, but is more a guy who wants to feast over the middle in those intermediate ranges. It helps (JSN) to have a guy like DK Metcalf who can take the top off.”
DK Metcalf’s impact on the Seahawks
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a first-round pick from Ohio State in 2023, took over as the Seahawks’ top receiver this year with a strong second half of the season.
Smith-Njigba finished 12th in the league in receiving yards with 100 catches for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns. Metcalf, who missed two games due to an MCL sprain, slowed down after a strong start and ended with 66 catches for 992 yards and five touchdowns.
With Smith-Njigba stepping up as the No. 1 receiver, Metcalf could become more expendable for Seattle. However, as Klassen pointed out, Metcalf is a big-play threat who demands a lot of attention from opposing defenses.
This helps create opportunities for Smith-Njigba and the rest of the offense. Former NFL wide receiver and Seahawks Radio Network analyst Michael Bumpus discussed this dynamic on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy on Tuesday.
“If you don’t have that threat out there, defenses play you just a bit differently,” Bumpus said. “I’m not saying that you can’t find (a replacement for DK), but you know what you’re getting out of DK. He poses a threat to where safeties are gonna get a little deeper.
They’re always gonna find (him) and see where he is, and it takes pressure off of your other receivers. It takes pressure off your tight end. It helps the run game. “So his presence alone … makes a defense play you differently.”
Metcalf’s average salary of $24 million per year currently ranks 13th among NFL receivers, according to Over The Cap. However, that contract was signed more than 2 1/2 years ago.
Since then, the wide receiver market has greatly increased, with six receivers signing contracts or extensions in 2024 worth at least $30 million per year, topped by Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson’s record-breaking $35 million-per-year deal.
Metcalf’s salary is set to rise
Metcalf’s salary cap hit is expected to rise, from $15 million in 2024 to about $31.9 million in 2025, according to OTC. This would make it the third-highest cap hit for any wide receiver in 2025 and take up about 11.3% of Seattle’s cap space.
If the Seahawks extend Metcalf, they could lower his cap hit for 2025 and spread it out over several seasons. If they decide to trade him, they could clear roughly $10.9 million in cap space by trading him before June 1, and about $18 million if they trade him after June 1.
“I don’t know if they necessarily need to be 100% married to the idea of keeping him,” Klassen said. “But if they move on from him, they’re going to need to find another replacement who is similarly explosive.”
