DK Metcalf says he bluffed Seahawks in contract talks

RENTON, Wash.

Now that the deal was signed and DK Metcalf had the security and financial reward he was looking for, the young Seattle wide receiver could acknowledge that he played a few games with the Seahawks throughout the negotiation process.

“I was going to be here, as much as I bluffed at (GM) John (Schneider),” Metcalf said with a chuckle. “I wasn’t leaving, just so you all know. I wanted to be here. I wanted to play here and I’m glad we did something.”

Metcalf became the latest in a line of wide receivers to land big new contracts when he signed a three-year extension with the Seahawks on Friday. The deal will net him up to $72 million, with $58 million guaranteed, and keep him going through the 2025 season.

Getting an extension with Metcalf was a priority this offseason, even as the Seahawks embarked on an offensive rebuild following the trade of Russell Wilson. The team considered him part of their core almost from the time he was selected in the second round in 2019.

“We knew he was a guy who was going to be here, we had to have here for a long time so that we could provide the (fans) with a championship team,” Schneider said.

Schneider said negotiations over extending Metcalf began in Indianapolis during the NFL combine, which was also when talks between the Seahawks and Broncos over Wilson’s trade kicked off.

Negotiations with Metcalf lingered into the start of training camp and included Metcalf skipping the team’s mandatory minicamp in June. But Schneider praised Metcalf’s patience and professionalism throughout.

As Metcalf’s deal wrapped up, a slew of other wide receivers signed big contracts. Cooper Kupp, AJ Brown, Stefon Diggs, Terry McLaurin, Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, Chris Godwin, Mike Williams and Michael Gallup have all signed deals with a potential total value of over $50 million.

Did these deals add stress to Metcalf’s situation?

“You are always adjusting as you go. So if you go back to when we were in Indianapolis, there were a number of things that happened that we had to keep tweaking as we went along to try to reward this young guy,” said said Schneider.

Metcalf’s deal also includes a $30 million signing bonus, the largest for a wide receiver. He will likely be back at the bargaining table in a few years looking for another deal as the contract expires just after he turns 28.

Metcalf said having the biggest signing bonus didn’t matter.

“We had goals that we talked about, both on the team side and on our side,” Metcalf said. “But this is just an amazing time where I can help my family and the state of Mississippi and surrounding communities for years to come.”

Metcalf earned $911,914 last season as he had a career-high 75 receptions and 12 touchdowns despite suffering a foot injury for most of the season.

His breakout season came in 2020 when he became a full-time starter and had 83 receptions for a franchise-record 1,303 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns and was selected as a second-team AP All-Pro.

He can now return to training camp after spending the first two days as a spectator.

“It makes a big difference in the momentum you feel from a leader like this coming back to your club and knowing he’s excited about it, and he’s excited to be here and all that kind of stuff. things,” coach Pete Carroll said. “It just adds to the whole energy of the band.”

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