Could Seahawks’ DK Metcalf Be The Next NFL Superstar To Be Traded?

In the midst of a chaotic NFL season in which a star has been traded seemingly every day, could he be the next DK Metcalf?

Seahawks launched a rebuild when Send out Super Bowl winner Russell Wilson To the Bronco in exchange for a set of draft shots. Metcalf, a second-round pick in 2019, is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and the team must decide whether or not to extend it.

One would think they would do it with a player of his caliber, but given how teams offload the truck to get wide receivers this off-season (see: Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams), Metcalf would be an obvious commercial candidate if they want to kick off a full rebuild.

At NFL owners’ meetings, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider confirmed that they are interested in shutting down Metcalf.

“We intend to have him with us,” Carroll said, per ESPN. “We’d love to know. We’re in a normal situation this time of year. We’re not into it yet precisely because we have a lot of other things going on. But we’d love to have him. There’s no way I can imagine playing without him.”

Schneider also said their “intent” was to sign Metcalf to a long-term deal. But for now, their actual start is Drew Locke. Anticipating the loaded NFC West competition seems tough, even if the Seahawks go after Baker Mayfield.

Adams and Hill both Market position for wide reception contractsEach of them costs an average value of nearly $30 million. The Metcalf agent will likely want something close to that, which is a tough proposition for a rebuilding team without a quarterback.

“That’s what it is now, isn’t it?” Schneider said of the increasing value of wide receivers. “That’s the market. So we’ll get to that when we get to it. But yeah, there’s a little bit of, ‘whoa,’ but then you have to know: OK, OK, where’s the cap going? What’s it going to look like? How do you build your team? We do that. Every day, we constantly move things.”

The Seahawks previously floated Tyler Lockett as a potential commercial plot, but Metcalf is five years younger than him, and in theory the team wouldn’t have to extend it right away. The Seahawks could get him to play under the final year of his rookie contract, but they’re risking losing him for nothing in 2023 and only reaping the benefits of playing him in a season when they are not expected to compete in their own league.

It’s been a weird season and with smoke around Metcalf starting to gather, the trade shouldn’t shock anyone at this point.