Agent Boldly Predicts Seahawks Will Trade Star Player

Getty One agent predicts the Seahawks will trade DK Metcalf.

According to one agent, the Seattle Seahawks will soon trade one of their star players.

As noted by ESPN’s Brady Henderson on Friday, June 24, three agents were polled on their predictions for Metcalf’s contract situation. While two believed the Seahawks will get a contract extension done for their 24-year-old receiver, one agent believes Seattle will trade Metcalf rather than sign him to a big deal.

“ESPN polled three NFL agents who aren’t involved in the Metcalf negotiations but are well-versed in the receiver market,” says Henderson. “One predicts the Seahawks will extend Metcalf on an annual average similar to (A.J.) Brown’s $25 million. Another thinks they won’t go any higher than $25 million per season and around $60 million guaranteed — assuming a four-year extension, Seattle’s preferred length. The third agent doesn’t think the Seahawks will go that high and predicts the team will trade Metcalf.”

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Seahawks Remain Optimistic in Metcalf Deal

Metcalf is entering the final year of his rookie contract, a deal that will pay him just $4.3 million this season, 41st among all wide receivers in the league. According to Spotrac, Metcalf’s market value is $22 million per season across four years, which would make him the seventh highest-paid receiver in the league.

All signs have indicated that the Seahawks plan to keep Metcalf in Seattle. Even after the young receiver decided to sit out mandatory minicamp earlier this month, head coach Pete Carroll stressed that he’s optimistic a deal will get done.

“We’ve been through this for years, and we know it’s a challenging time,” Carroll explained. “We’ve had so many high-profile guys that have gone through this process and how’s that worked out for us? We’ve figured it out in time. Johnny (Schneider) is on it and he’s as experienced as you can get at handling this stuff.”

If the Seahawks do re-sign Metcalf to a contract extension, a fair baseline is the Philadelphia Eagles‘ A.J. Brown. Brown signed a four-year, $100 million contract extension upon being traded from the Tennessee Titans during the 2022 NFL draft.

Not only do Brown and Metcalf share the same agent, they’re from the same draft class and both 24 years of age. Furthermore, Metcalf’s career statistics thus far — 216 receptions for 3170 yards and 29 touchdowns — have actually exceeded Brown’s stats of 185 receptions for 2,995 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Cowherd: Seahawks Are Not Going to Pay Metcalf

With all of that said, there is one major difference — Brown’s Eagles are trying to contend a year after clinching a playoff berth. On the other hand, the Seahawks are in clear rebuilding mode after trading franchise quarterback Russell Wilson.

While the Eagles are trying to stockpile key players in an attempt to stave off the Dallas Cowboys for NFC East supremacy, the Seahawks are content with starting either Geno Smith or Drew Lock at quarterback. In other words, Seattle could possibly finish with the worst record in the NFL next season.

The Seahawks’ lack of a certain future has led some analysts — such as Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd — to believe that Seattle is in no rush to actually sign Metcalf to a contract that he desires.

“His numbers are going to plummet,” predicts Cowherd. “And he wants to get paid early. He knows his numbers are going to plummet. And the Seahawks do. And the Seahawks aren’t going to pay him.”

“The Seahawks for three reasons have leverage here,” Cowherd continues. “Number one, losing a little more is not the worst thing in the world this year for Seattle. They want the top quarterback in next year’s draft. Number two is, Seattle — because of the Russell Wilson trade — is loaded the next two drafts with first and second round picks. And number three is college football gives us 25 college receivers that play a year.”

The Seahawks have remained adamant that they want Metcalf to remain with the team moving forward. But Seattle’s direction of rebuilding may lead to a contract offer that is slightly less than what similar receivers on the market are being offered.