Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf surfaced in NFL rumors at the start of the offseason, with some suggesting he was a top potential offseason trade candidate. After weeks of Seattle downplaying the notion of a trade, Metcalf has officially requested to be moved.
Metcalf, age 27, is eyeing a few things. He is entering the final season of his three-year contract and wants a new deal that makes him one of the highest-paid NFL players. Entering 2025, the All-Pro wideout ranks 13th among average annual value ($24 million) at his position. With No. 1 receivers like A.J. Brown, Brandon Aiyuk, Tyreek Hill, and Amon-Ra St. Brown all receiving $30-plus million per year, Metcalf wants a raise.
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- DK Metcalf contract (Spotrac): $31,875 million cap hit, $18 million base salary in 2025
He also wants to play for a contender, ideally with a high-end starting quarterback. It’s naturally led to plenty of speculation that the Los Angeles Chargers could be a potential landing spot. Now, there are NFL rumors fueling that belief.
Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports spoke to multiple NFL executives, who each highlighted the Chargers as a team to watch for Metcalf. This comes after previous reporting that Los Angeles “aggressively pursued” a Metcalf trade last off-season.
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- DK Metcalf stats (ESPN): 66 receptions, 992 receiving yards, 5 touchdowns in 15 games
The 6-foot-4 wideout would provide a deep threat that the Chargers offense is missing. Furthermore, his presence on the outside would help open up the short and intermediate areas of the field for wide receiver Ladd McConkey, giving Justin Herbert two excellent pass-catchers. There’s an additional incentive for Metcalf to prefer a trade to the Chargers as well.
As highlighted by Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, Metcalf has started spending his offseason in Los Angeles in recent years. He’s also close with a member of the Chargers coaching staff, wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal, which further incentives his potential desire to play for the team.
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Los Angeles already has the cap space to extend Metcalf, and it could offer the Seahawks the additional incentive of moving the star wide receiver out of the NFC. Given all of those factors, it’s no surprise that the Chargers are the odds-on favorite to acquire Metcalf right now.