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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 24: General manager John Schneider of the Seattle Seahawks speaks to the media during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 24, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
In hindsight, the Seattle Seahawks‘ dealings last offseason will likely once again be looked at as highly impressive work by general manager John Schneider.
In particular, the team’s effort to move off wide receiver D.K. Metcalf in exchange for a second round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which the team then combined with pick #83 to land Nick Emmanwori, who looks today to be one of the best up-and-coming safeties in all of football.
But on the other end of the deal, things did not quite pan out so nicely.
By any standard metric the former Seahawk had his worst season as a pro last year, managing a career low in targets (99), receiving yards (850), and just one more than his prior lowest reception amount of 58, generating 59 in 2025.
And given that this performance was coming off the back of a four-year $132 million extension signed that March, the Steelers will not be feeling great about said dealing.
Especially given that quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who failed to develop meaningful chemistry with the 28-year old despite the dearth of other legitimate receiving options, appears potentially set to return to the franchise in 2026.
D.K. Metcalf May Be Back On the Market Soon
As a result, Moe Moton of Bleacher Report believes that Metcalf could thus be a candidate to be either traded or cut after April’s draft.
A major secondary factor that could see the former second round pick be a trade candidate or cap casualty so short into his stint with his new team concerns the addition of Michael Pittman Jr. that the team made last month, signing him to a far more reasonable three-year, $59 million extension.
“After the Steelers acquired Pittman from the Indianapolis Colts, they signed him to an extension. Meanwhile, Metcalf is set to play out the rest of his deal, which runs through 2029, without guaranteed money.” Moton wrote.
“There’s almost no chance that Metcalf plays another down on his current contract. The Steelers will need to rework his deal. Perhaps those negotiations have already begun. If not, Pittsburgh may prefer a wide receiver on a rookie contract over a seven-year veteran who needs a new one coming off an inconsistent season and a recent suspension.”
Will D.K. Metcalf Be Traded or Cut?
The option of “neither” still remains a very tangible possibility, considering the fact that dumping Metcalf’s deal still incurs a $24 million dead cap charge in 2026 and an $18 million one in 2027 – and that is if he is traded – per Over the Cap.
Much of the Ole Miss alum’s future will quite possibly come down to how their team drafts in 2026. If they decide to select a wideout on Day 1 or 2, and feel comfortable with Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson manning the other two slots, it could well be that Metcalf ends up on the trade block.
Indeed one destination that would actually make a lot of sense is Seattle, who have ample cap room and are more than familiar with Metcalf as a person and player, and could use a big-bodied foil to newly-crowned Offensive Player of the Year, Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Daniel Arwas Daniel Arwas is a sports writer who covers the NFL for Heavy.com. Daniel began his career in sports writing in 2022 and has covered the NFL and college football for Gridiron Heroics and The Hammer. More about Daniel Arwas
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