Proposed trade would reunite one Seahawks player with DK Metcalf

Seattle Seahawks fans know that general manager John Schneider is not afraid to make a trade that he thinks will help his team. The GM has a history of acquiring players, though he hasn't made a splashy one in some time. We could see that change ahead of the 2025 season.

That includes adding players. Perhaps, the Seahawks will attempt to add edge rusher Trey Hendrickson from the Cincinnati Bengals. He is going through troublesome contract extension talks, and maybe the Bengals decide to ship him off instead of trying to work out a new deal.

Or maybe Schneider sends a player currently on the Seahawks roster off for future draft picks. That is what CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin thinks happens. He proposes Seattle send tight end Noah Fant to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a move that would reunite Fant with former Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf.

Proposed trade would have Noah Fant joining former Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf with the Steelers

Metcalf was dealt by the Seahawks to the Steelers this offseason for a second-round 2025 NFL draft choice after the receiver had requested a trade. He had done the same previously, but Schneider finally obliged the request as Metcalf was entering the final year of his contract with Seattle.

Of moving Fant to Pittsburgh, Benjamin says, "Even after securing Metcalf as their new No. 1 wideout, the Steelers have reportedly been, in part to replace the gifted but volatile Pickens. And Fant -- more so than, say, the Atlanta Falcons' Kyle Pitts-- would seem to be readily available in Seattle."

To be fair, Benjamin does point out that there would be potential holdups with the deal. He writes, "Even if the Seahawks want to shed Fant's salary, they might prefer to swallow his cap hit for the sake of ensuring new quarterback Sam Darnold has at least one proven option at tight end."

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Benjamin is not the first to propose the Seahawks moving Fant, in part because trading him would save Seattle $8.9 million. The problem with the argument is that the team doesn't need to create cap room. Even with Fant's deal and the impending signing of rookie safety Nick Emmanwori, the Seahawks have nearly $28 million in cap space.

Free agency is basically over, and any remaining free agents would be affordable for Seattle even while keeping Fant. The Seahawks could even trade for Hendrickson and have enough for his contract with Fant still on the roster.

Benjamin's idea is not a bad one. Even 12th Man Rising has recently proposed potential landing spots for Noah Fant. The reason for dealing with him isn't the size of his contract, but that he has consistently underwhelmed, and second-year pro AJ Barner turned out to be a better receiver as a rookie than many expected.

Seattle chose Miami's Elijah Arroyo in the second round of the 2025 draft, and he is currently a better receiver than blocker, so he would be Fant's natural replacement. Counting on a rookie is iffy, however, so keeping Fant might be the smart move.

As for DK Metcalf, he probably would be happy to have Fant come to the Steelers. Fant is sure-handed, at least, and would not take many targets away from Metcalf. Plus, after trading wide receiver George Pickens, Metcalf can use all the receiving help he can get.