Getty Has Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll done enough to help one of his star players?
The Seattle Seahawks are trying to prove the skeptics wrong as they prepare to head into training camp. However, one analyst believes that the team has set up one of its star players to fail throughout the 2022 season.
Alex Ballentine with Bleacher Report gave his list of six NFL players who have been set up to fail by their respective teams this season. The list includes a pair of young, promising quarterbacks in Chicago Bears and Houston Texans QBs Justin Fields and Davis Mills, but it also included one of the most exciting wide receivers in the league in Seahawks wideout DK Metcalf.
“Metcalf…is going from Wilson throwing him passes to watching Drew Lock and Geno Smith compete for the starting quarterback position,” Ballentine said. “No matter who wins the job, Metcalf’s going to miss having a quarterback of Wilson’s caliber. The quantity and quality of Metcalf’s targets are both about to go down, which is going to make it difficult for him to take his next step as a receiver.”
Losing a superstar quarterback will be tough for Metcalf, and Ballentine isn’t convinced that the 24-year-old will be able to have much of an impact in 2022.
Latest on DK Metcalf’s Contract Negotiation
While the Seahawks get ready for training camp, general manager John Schneider is facing some tough questions as to why a contract extension hasn’t been agreed upon with Metcalf.
Metcalf was absent from mandatory minicamp, presumably holding out as he continues to work on becoming one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL. However, head coach Pete Carroll was optimistic that the two sides could reach an agreement before the season begins.
ALL the latest Seahawks news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Seahawks newsletter here!
“These are crucial weeks to get something done and we’ll see what happens and hope that we can work something out,” Carroll told reporters at minicamp. “[We’ve] really intend to get that done.”
With the contracts that have been given out to star receivers including Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, Cooper Kupp, and even Metcalf’s former college teammate A.J. Brown, the 24-year-old could be expecting an extension worth over $100 million to keep him in Seattle for the coming seasons.
It’s unclear whether Metcalf will continue to hold out heading into training camp, which is set to kick off on July 28th. If the Seahawks receiver doesn’t show up and a deal isn’t done, then trade rumors will start flying around once again.
Who Will Be Throwing DK Metcalf the Ball?
With Wilson now playing for the Denver Broncos, it will be up to a new quarterback to get Metcalf the ball. There are only three quarterbacks on Seattle’s training camp roster at the moment, and with Jacob Eason expected to be a backup, the starting QB battle will be between Geno Smith and Drew Lock.
Smith has the edge on Lock heading into training camp, simply because he’s been with the team since 2019 serving as Wilson’s backup. The veteran stepped up and played well replacing an injured Wilson last season, posting a 103.0 passer rating with five touchdowns and just one interception.
During those games where Smith played, Metcalf still had a big impact on the offense. In the four games where Smith played, Metcalf caught 19 passes for 295 yards and five touchdowns. Seahawks fans are hoping that the former second-round pick could have similar production if Smith is the starting QB.
Lock will be competing for that starting role, however, hoping that a change of scenery will help him salvage his NFL career. Playing at Missouri in college, Lock earned a reputation as an electric gunslinger, even leading the nation in passing touchdowns as a junior. However, his inconsistency at the NFL level made it hard for him to keep hold of the starting job for the Broncos before being traded to Seattle this offseason.
Whoever starts at quarterback will at least have the security blanket of a superstar wide receiver in Metcalf to throw to.