'Wide receiver DK Metcalf was a productive player for the Seattle Seahawks for six seasons, but he seemingly was not overly happy with the team for many of those seasons. Multiple times, he requested to be traded, and Seattle finally obliged him this offseason.
Metcalf is now a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Seattle replaced him with, among others, veteran Cooper Kupp. Kupp is an efficient receiver when healthy, but he lacks Metcalf's pure explosiveness. He also, thankfully, lacks Metcalf's mercurial attitude.
But Metcalf wanted out of Seattle, and now he is out. He might not have gone to the team he wanted to, though. According to former Seahawks player Michael Robinson, who does a show called Da Get Got podcast with Seattle legend Marshawn Lynch, Metcalf would have rather have gone to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Former Seahawks star DK Metcalf wanted to rejoin Pete Carroll with the Raiders
After Lynch mentioned that Pete Carroll, who was hired by the Raiders to be the head coach this offseason, would have liked to have added several former Seattle players to the Las Vegas roster, Robinson responded by saying, "I know. Remember, DK wanted to go there."
This brings up a couple of issues, one presumed and one assumed.
Many had assumed that Metcalf and former Seattle quarterback Geno Smith did not get along well. Smith appeared to blame Metcalf at least once last season after Smith had thrown an interception. The receiver had not cut his route sharper, and the defender was able to undercut Smith's pass.
If Metcalf still wanted to go to the Raiders after Smith was traded to Las Vegas (Metcalf was dealt to the Steelers after Smith was traded to the Raiders), this would imply Metcalf and Smith got along fine. Metcalf wanted to be traded from the Seahawks, but his unhappiness was not because of Smith.
The presumed aspect comes from the relationships that Pete Carroll was able to build during his time as the Seahawks head coach. Players from the Legion of Boom, such as Richard Sherman, remain in contact with Carroll even though Sherman stopped playing for Seattle after the 2017 season.
Smith also stayed in contact with Carroll during the 2024 season after Carroll had been removed from his head coaching duties with Seattle.
The connection that the former Seahawks head coach has with his former players rolled over to Metcalf, too. Watching the Raiders might be difficult enough for Seahawks fans this coming season, as Carroll and Smith will be helping the Raiders win. Had Metcalf been added to Las Vegas as well, that would have been even stranger.
