While the Seattle Seahawks are rebuilding under new head coach Mike Macdonald, their trio of starting wide receivers remain intact. With Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Tyler Lockett, and DK Metcalf, quarterback Geno Smith is stacked with options.
But according to Benjamin Allbright of KOA Radio, the Pittsburgh Steelers are attempting to sign Metcalf. “Roughly six teams” were contacted by Pittsburgh in an attempt to acquire the top receiver. “And two teams have rejected them,” Allbright wrote on April 29.
“They called regarding Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers and Courtland Sutton of the Denver Broncos, but were rejected, at least in the first discussions. Regarding DK, I don’t think a transaction would be completed there until after June 1st, assuming one were completed at all.
For his TD celebration, DK Metcalf used sign language to say, “standing on business.”
Because of the salary cap restrictions on their respective teams, Aiyuk and Sutton are regarded as trade candidates. Metcalf’s three-year, $72 million contract, which keeps him in Seattle until the 2025 NFL season, hasn’t caused him to express any concerns, though.
If the Seahawks agreed to trade Metcalf, which would be a huge shock, the post-June 1 date is important. If Metcalf is dealt after June 1st, Seattle will clear $17 million in 2024 cap space and $22 million in 2025. Over those two years, the Seahawks would lose $15 million in dead money. That figure increases to $22.5 million if they trade Metcalf before June 1.
As Seattle is currently rebuilding, it makes sense to release a sizable amount of cap space. Additionally, if a trade meant getting back together with quarterback Russell Wilson, Metcalf could be amenable to it. However, during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on April 30, Steelers general manager Omar Khan denied that any trade was currently in the works.
It’s unclear what substantial package the Steelers could offer Seattle for them to even consider trading their top receiver. However, it’s easy to see why Pittsburgh is trying to get him.
“Metcalf would also be an intriguing option for the Steelers due to his previous connection with Wilson,” Doric Sam of Bleacher Report wrote. “The 26-year-old caught passes from Wilson for the first two or more seasons of his career, and in 2020, he set a career-high with 1,303 receiving yards.”
When Wilson returned to Lumen Field as an opponent, Metcalf had nothing but affection for the Seahawks’ 2019 second-round pick, who helped launch his NFL career. In Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season, the Seahawks defeated the Broncos 17-16, and the two teams traded jerseys. Wilson scribbled, “Greatest player I ever played with,” on Metcalf’s shirt.
In addition, Metcalf stood up for Wilson when fans heckled him and his spouse Ciara for supporting the Colorado Avalanche against the Seattle Kraken in last year’s playoffs.Metcalf retweeted a fan’s remark that had been removed, asking everyone to “f****** chill on Russ.”
Following Diontae Johnson’s trade, George Pickens and Roman Wilson, a 2024 third-round pick, are the Steelers’ leading receivers. Before the NFL Draft, there were tidings that the Steelers were interested in signing Tyler Lockett, the other seasoned wide receiver for the Seahawks.
Lockett, who signed a four-year, $69 million extension with the Seahawks, still had two years and $34 million left on his deal. His cap hit in 2024 was $26.8 million. However, Lockett’s cap hit fell to $18.5 million when he agreed in March to a $29.6 million, two-year restructuring.
Last month, Lockett put an end to trade rumors with his revised contract on the books, which has a $30.8 million cap charge in 2025. The 31-year-old made his final remarks about his new contract clear to media on April 10.
Mike Dugar of The Athletic tweeted, “Lockett concluded his press conference by saying he doesn’t want to see any more articles suggesting he be traded.”
