The Seattle Seahawks are rolling, thankfully. The team has won four straight games and is currently in first place in the NFC West with just four games remaining. The team controls its own destiny on whether they make the playoffs or not. If Seattle reaches the postseason, it could be quite dangerous.
While Seattle has been recently highly successful, one long-term great from the team has not been. Wide receiver Tyler Lockett has been possibly the second-best player at his position in franchise history, but he is only the third-best receiver on his team currently. He also gets far too expensive next season to keep around if he is going to stay as WR3.
That is unlikely to change. DK Metcalf was Seattle's clear WR1 in 2023, and is only 26 years old (he will turn 27 on December 14). Metcalf, as well as Lockett, might have been surpassed by Jaxon Smith-Njigba this season (JSN leads the team in catches and receiving yards), and he is only 22 years old. More importantly, Smith-Njigba will be on a rookie contract through 2027, assuming the team picks up his fifth-year option.
While Seattle hasn't lost in more than a month, Lockett has not been a productive part of the success. After getting six or more targets a game six times in the Seahawks' first seven games, the receiver has no more than four - and that only once - in the last six games. He had one in Week 14 against the Arizona Cardinals.
Besides the 63-yard game he had in Week 9 against the Los Angeles Rams, Lockett has no more than 20 yards in the last six games. Meanwhile, JSN's productivity has picked up quite a bit while Metcalf's has stayed relatively the same. It is almost as if the team knows they won't have Lockett next season and are already in the process of moving on from him.
The receiver's cap hit is a ridiculous $30,895,000. The team, though, could save nearly $27 million by releasing the receiver. If Lockett was 25 years old, Seattle might be happy to keep him around, but he won't be. Lockett will turn 33 years old early in the 2025 season. That is getting old for any receiver, especially one who is smaller and relies on quickness to get open.
The team is also tight against the cap. Currently, Seattle has no money to spend next offseason, and Lockett's $27 million would go a long way toward adding free agents, signing draft picks, and filling out a practice squad. No one wants to see Lockett go, but NFL teams also have to make difficult financial decisions sometimes.
Lockett could choose to retire and move on to focus solely on his growing real estate business. He will continue to do great human things through his foundation. Humanity would be better if the receiver was not bothered by football because of the time he would have to devote to various charitable programs. The Seahawks might not be affected too much if Lockett is not still on the roster.
