The Seattle Seahawks are 3-2 through the first five weeks of the season. The loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday added a layer of disappointment, because the 49ers now hold a two-game lead in the NFC West. One issue keeps standing out in Seattle’s roster construction: the lack of secondary pass-catching weapons.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been one of the best wide receivers in football. Through five games, he has 37 receptions for 583 yards and seven touchdowns on 49 targets. Outside of him, the Seahawks haven’t generated much. Cooper Kupp ranks second among the team’s wide receivers, with 11 catches for 129 yards and one touchdown. Tight end AJ Barner has 12 receptions for 122 yards and no touchdowns.

At this point of the season, it’s hard to find free agents who would actually be an improvement over Kupp and Barner. Therefore, most of the options come via trade. So, let’s discuss five players who could give Seattle more out of its passing game.

Two first-round picks who became afterthoughts

The first name is Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. The former first-round pick was already traded once, from the Denver Broncos to Cleveland, and he signed a new contract with the Browns two years ago. Jeudy had a strong 2024 season but regressed last year. Now, with Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion playing well, Jeudy has had a lesser role. Both young receivers are high draft picks with plenty of pedigree and upside.

The money works for Seattle. Most of Jeudy’s 2026 salary was an option bonus the Browns already paid, so the Seahawks would only absorb a portion of his $1.5 million base salary. He is due about $22.9 million in 2027, but that money isn’t guaranteed. It’s essentially an almost-free contract this season, followed by a team option. Cleveland would still want trade compensation, but this is a realistic scenario.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. follows a similar path. The 2024 first-round pick had almost 2,000 yards and 12 touchdowns over his first two NFL seasons. Now, he is fifth on the Jaguars in receiving yards, behind Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, Josh Cameron, and tight end Brenton Strange.

That production wouldn’t transform the Seahawks offense by itself. The idea is that, in a new offense and with less competition for targets, Thomas could get his career back on track. He is also still on his rookie deal, making $2.1 million this season. Trading for him at the deadline would cost close to $500,000, and he would make a little less than $2.8 million in 2027. Seattle would also control his fifth-year option for 2028, which is projected around $14.68 million. That’s a cost-controlled player with plenty of potential, even though he hasn’t played well this season.

Rentals from 0-5 teams

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston is the third option. The 2023 first-round pick is making around $1.3 million this season. The problem is that the Chargers exercised his fifth-year option for 2027, and that number is $16.468 million.

That’s a high salary for Johnston’s production. He has only 108 receiving yards and no touchdowns this season, after back-to-back seasons with more than 700 yards and eight touchdowns. He is a role player, and Mike McDaniel hasn’t gotten more out of him with the Chargers. However, Los Angeles started the season 0-5. If the Chargers are willing to rebuild and absorb part of that 2027 salary, the move could make sense for Seattle.

The last trade candidate is Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley. At 31 years old, he is older and more expensive, with a $5.49 million base salary. The Seahawks would absorb around half of that near the trade deadline. His $22.25 million salary for 2027 essentially works as a team option, so this would be a rental.

The Titans are also 0-5, and Ridley hasn’t lived up to his contract in Tennessee. Still, Cam Ward has been bad, and better quarterback play could help Ridley get back to his best days. Even under tough circumstances, he surpassed 1,000 yards in 2023 (his final season with the Jaguars, with eight touchdowns) and in 2024 (his first in Tennessee, with four touchdowns). Ridley missed about half of last season with a broken fibula. Now, the Titans are prioritizing young receivers Carnell Tate, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Elic Ayomanor. Ridley has only five receptions for 81 yards and no touchdowns on eight targets.

A high ceiling in free agency

The final option is the most intriguing one, albeit with some red flags: Free agent wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The former Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins star is a five-time first-team All-Pro and an eight-time Pro Bowler. In 2023, he led the NFL in receiving yards and tied for the league lead in receiving touchdowns, posting 1,799 yards and 13 touchdowns in a career year. He also won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs.

Hill played only four games for Miami last year. He remains unsigned because he is recovering from serious injuries, and he also has an off-field question mark to resolve before returning to the NFL. At 32 years old, it’s unclear whether he will be allowed to play and how he will come back from last year’s knee injury. Nonetheless, Hill doesn’t have a contract right now, so he would likely be a low-cost option. If he can get back to his 2023 level, he has the highest ceiling among all these players.