DK Metcalf wanted out of being with the Seattle Seahawks. That is not breaking news in and of itself. The problem is that the mercurial wide receiver appears to have been an unhappy player for quite some time. A disgruntled player tends to be less productive, so maybe Seattle should have shipped DK Metcalf in the previous offseasons.
According to ESPN's Brady Henderson, who recently appeared on Seattle Sports 710 AM, Metcalf did not simply wake up one day this year and want to be traded. He also wanted to be traded in previous years. Before we jump too far ahead, maybe there is a reason.
On the field, Metcalf is a volatile player who can cost his own team with bad penalties. He still has the size and speed to be explosive and, at times, game-changing. One of the reasons Jaxon Smith-Njigba was able to ascend in year two is that so many opposing defenses were scheming against what Metcalf could do.
DK Metcalf apparently did not want to be with the Seattle Seahawks well before this offseason
No more. If JSN continues his excellence, it will be without the help of a receiver as explosive as Metcalf. Cooper Kupp is a nice addition, but he will not take the top off a defense like Metcalf could.
Off the field, Metcalf is an effervescent young man with a quick smile and a charming personality. He is worthy of being liked, but he also appears to have wanted to make his personality known in a local NFL market other than Seattle. He wants to catch passes, but he also wants to grow his brand. Heck, Pittsburgh, the home of the Steelers and Metcalf's new team, is not that far from New York, right?
Henderson said on the Wyman and Bob show, "From what I understand, that trade request that DK Metcalf made before the start of free agency, that was not the first time that he's requested a trade. From my understanding, that's happened several times in the past few offseasons."
So, were the Seahawks and 12s getting and seeing Metcalf's best? Maybe not. The Steelers traded for him and then signed him to a five-year, $150 million deal. If the wide receiver values money more than the relationship with the team that took a chance on him in the second round of the 2019 draft, then he could be more productive with Pittsburgh.
This also means Seattle could be getting a player in the 2025 draft who cares more about doing well with the Seahawks. The team might have also signed two, Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who are less concerned with their image than Metcalf was and more worried about whether the team wins or loses.
The saddest part is that what Henderson said might change Metcalf's legacy among 12s. The receiver was a likable person, but he appeared to have wanted out of Seattle for a long time.
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