With Metcalf officially heading to Pittsburgh, Seattle clears cap space and continues reshaping its offense under second-year head coach Mike Macdonald. Earlier in the week, Metcalf requested a trade, and the Seahawks obliged, accelerating their roster shake-up.
However, Seattle's long-term strategy remains murky. The Seahawks were among the NFC's stronger teams last year, only a couple of unfortunate bounces away from making a serious postseason push. Yet, they've now parted ways with Geno Smith, a highly efficient quarterback who masked deficiencies behind a subpar offensive line, and Metcalf, a receiver who, while not elite, possesses the kind of field-stretching ability few can replicate.
Seattle, it appears, is attempting to remain competitive without committing to a full rebuild—an approach that carries significant risk. That said, the Seahawks deserve credit for their pragmatism. Handing Metcalf his new contract would have been an overpay, and Seattle was wise to avoid it. The chances of him justifying that deal in Pittsburgh are slim, making the decision to offload him for a second-round pick a sensible one. Seattle's overall direction remains unclear, but at the very least, they ensured they didn't lose Metcalf for nothing.
