Seattle Seahawks urged to extend star WR rather than trade him

DK Metcalf could be on the move, or he may get a new contract.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 22: DK Metcalf #14 and Geno Smith #7 of the Seattle Seahawks celebrate after their touchdown connection against the Minnesota Vikings during the second quarter at Lumen Field on December 22, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. | (Photo by Christopher Mast/Getty Images)

Over the next few weeks, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider has some tough calls to make. First, he has to choose between keeping Geno Smith around or hitting the reset button at quarterback. Next, he has to clear some salary room by making some cap casualties. Then, he has to find a way to re-sign middle linebacker Ernest Jones, who became the backbone of the defense in the second half of the 2024 NFL season.

One way that Schneider could find the salary cap room he needs to keep the defense going strong as well as building up the offensive line is adjusting the contract for star wide receiver DK Metcalf. Although he's always a popular trade target for fans of other teams, Bleacher Report believes the Seahawks should give Metcalf an extension rather than trade him.

B/R on DK Metcalf extension

"The 27-year-old is set to account for a $31.9 million cap hit and they have Jaxon Smith-Njigba as an emerging star at receiver. That doesn't mean moving on from Metcalf is the move, though. Instead, the Seahawks could shave up to $13.5 million off of his 2025 cap hit with an extension."

This is the way.

Dec 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) catches a pass for a touchdown while defended by Minnesota Vikings cornerback Stephon Gilmore (2) during the first half at Lumen Field. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

While there is an argument to sell high on Metcalf while he's still in his prime and rebuild the wide receiver corps around Jaxon Smith-Njigba, this team will be more competitive with Metcalf on it - even if they were to get a boatload of draft capital in return in a hypothetical trade.

Seattle's wide receiver corps has been going strong ever since the beginning of the Pete Carroll ended, and it's precisely because the front office has made keeping that unit a priority - and because they don't do foolish things like trading DK Metcalf while he still has a lot of good football left in him.

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