Seattle Seahawks confirm clear intentions with potentially massive moves ahead of free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft
The Seattle Seahawks were clearly approaching a critical point of decision this offseason after just barely missing the playoffs following the 2024 NFL season. Was the team going to try and go all-in for 2025 with only one more year of guaranteed Geo Smith under contract, or would they begin a potential rebuild? On Wednesday […]
The Seattle Seahawks were clearly approaching a critical point of decision this offseason after just barely missing the playoffs following the 2024 NFL season. Was the team going to try and go all-in for 2025 with only one more year of guaranteed Geo Smith under contract, or would they begin a potential rebuild? On Wednesday the team confirmed exactly where they're headed this season.
Tyler Lockett was obviously going to be a potential cut candidate if the team was going to begin looking ahead to the future, and the Seahawks made it official on Wednesday. Lockett was cut, saving the team quite a bit against their cap for 2025 as he was owed about $17 million for this season.
This move alone would not signify that the team was looking to rebuild as Lockett had seen his production dip a bit recently and NFL free agency just around the corner. However, that wasn't the only potentially massive move that the Seahawks were reported to be considering on Wednesday. Dre'Mont Jones (EDGE), George Fant (OL), Rashawn Jenkins, and Roy Robertson-Harris were also released.
Then on top of all that wide receiver DK Metcalf reportedly requested a trade on Wednesday as well, following multiple conversations with the team over the past couple weeks. Metcalf "prefers a contender", and apparently doesn't see the Seahawks as a team that fits that criteria.
With the Seahawks cutting Tyler Lockett (among several others) and potentially trading away DK Metcalf–who has logged over 6300 receiving yards in his first six NFL seasons with the Seahawks–it's clear that the team isn't exactly situating itself to compete in 2025.
If Metcalf is indeed traded then Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be the only Seahawks wide receiver returning who saw more than 17 targets in the 2024 NFL season.
Perhaps the team can trade DK Metcalf and then bring in one of the few decent veteran wide receivers hitting free agency this spring, but the pickings are slim in terms of true game-changing talents now that Tee Higgins has been franchise tagged by the Bengals.
So, what does this mean for the Seahawks in 2025 and beyond?
The Seahawks' offensive line situation is still an absolute mess coming off a year where quarterback Geno Smith took 50 sacks. Charles Cross, the team's left tackle, was the only offensive lineman on the team who wasn't a complete embarrassment in 2024.
Geno Smith is entering the final year of his contract, and accounts for a massive cap hit near $40 million for 2025. With that massive cap hit it will be tough to immediately rebuild around him to trot out a competitive playoff roster this year. The Seahawks barely rank inside the Top 20 in cap space for this season, and firmly sit inside the Top 10 in dead cap for the year. Cutting or trading Smith wouldn't likely yield an outcome any better than where the team currently sits either if they want to contend this year.
However, the future is bright beyond this season from a cap perspective. In 2026 the team ranks seventh in current cap space and have zero dead money on their books. The team is already in good shape for next year. But we could expect a few more intriguing moves that confirm a strong move towards a rebuild in the coming weeks.
Obviously the most likely move to come will be an official trade of DK Metcalf, but even before then the team could make further cuts (like tight end Noah Fant who would save the team nine more million this year).
The ultimate "punt" for 2026 would obviously involve simply cutting Geno Smith, but the team couldn't likely in good conscience defend any real interest in winning games this season if they do that. That would essentially announce to the world that the team is throwing in the towel on the year completely.
Regardless of what the team does with Geno Smith and NFL free agency, the Seahawks look like they're situating themselves to select a quarterback either in the 2025 NFL Draft or next year. Beyond spending every last free agent dollar on fixing the offensive line this spring, there aren't many moves that the team could make to even look like they want to compete this season.
So yes, with a number of potentially massive roster-changing moves this week, it is confirmed. The Seahawks are in full rebuild mode. Hopefully general manager John Schneider can pick the right quarterback this year or next so there can be a bright future ahead in Seattle.
We'll be back with more Seattle Seahawks coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!
