Brian Schottenheimer, Seahawks Challenging DK Metcalf to Emerge as Leader in Second Season

As a rookie, Metcalf stood out with his incredible performance on the field. Now entering his second season, the Seahawks will need him to do more than just catch footballs, as he must also become more of a vocal leader on offense.

Following a phenomenal rookie campaign, receiver DK Metcalf will be looking to take his game to another level during his second season in the league. As part of his ascent to the league's best at his position, his coaches have implored him to take on more of a leadership role in 2020.

Without OTAs, minicamp, and any preseason games, it has become extremely difficult for any player to critique their game this summer, especially for someone who owns less than two seasons of experience in the NFL. With that said, the Ole Miss standout's mentality has shown to be far more advanced than most experts gave him credit for when he entered the 2019 NFL Draft.

Coming into the league, Metcalf was already an extremely gifted pass catcher with his towering 6-foot-4, 228-pound frame, but the former second-round pick showed he has a lot more to offer than just his size. Reminiscing about the 22-year old’s inaugural season, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer raved about his impressive mindset and explained how the youngster desires to become one of the best receivers to ever play the game.

“I think the biggest thing that jumps out at me - obviously he’s always been extremely intelligent, we can move him around - just his expectation, his standard, this guy is a tireless worker,” Schottenheimer discussed. “He’s obviously tremendously talented, this guy is an unbelievable worker, he wants to be great, he wants to be one of the best of all time.”

Since achieving elite status requires a strong mental game along with physical skills, it’s not something that can typically be earned in such a short amount of time. But Metcalf has certainly shown flashes of potentially developing into that type of player in the near future. Considering he’s catching passes from six-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson, accomplishing that feat shouldn’t prove to be impossible for the explosive receiver.

Taking nothing for granted, the Mississippi native refuses to quit whenever he’s beaten in a one-on-one matchup or fails to haul in a pass during practice. Referencing his outstanding work ethic, Schottenheimer expressed he’s been extremely impressed about how the former Rebel has never skipped out on a play and how he takes so much pride with his craft on the field.

“He doesn’t win every matchup but when he doesn’t win the matchup, he takes it personally and he doesn’t shy away, he wants to jump back up there,” Schottenheimer explained. “This guy doesn’t take any plays off, I mean this guy absolutely attacks his job, he just attacks it. The look in his eye, the way he works has been… pretty awesome.”

While there are many parts of Metcalf’s game that must improve this season, including his ball security before and after the catch, the Seahawks are also asking him to become more of a leader on and off the field.

With two-time Pro Bowler Doug Baldwin retiring due to injuries, Seattle’s offense was without an outspoken leader in 2019 and they’re hopeful the second-year pro can transition into a similar role in 2020. Even though there’s no replacing “Angry Doug,” the promising young receiver is definitely capable of serving as someone who his teammates can lean on and rely on moving forward.

As a result of his stellar rookie campaign, Metcalf has earned the respect of the Seahawks’ coaching staff and they’re confident he’s ready to take on a larger responsibility in 2020. Respecting his game along with his work ethic, Schottenheimer believes the offense needs him to assert himself as one of the dominant voices in the huddle and occasionally take control when the opportunity presents itself.

“He’s earned the right to speak up more and our guys on offense respect him and he’s earned that right to call guys out and try to bring them along. I told him more than that he’s earned the right, we need his voice in that regard, that’s how much I respect him as a football player and as a worker.”