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Brady HendersonESPN
RENTON, Wash. — Several months of contract negotiations between his agent and the Seattle Seahawks D. K. Metcalf much dismay, even though the star wide receiver remained confident the whole time that it would end in a deal.
“It was a stressful process,” Metcalf said Friday, “but I’m glad it’s over now.”
That stress didn’t completely give way to joy until Metcalf took the stage in the auditorium inside the Seahawks’ headquarters, a full day after ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the two sides had agreed to a three-year extension worth of $72 million. Metcalf signed the deal Friday morning, then spoke to reporters, at times emotionally, while flanked by coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider.
“I just realized it when I was sitting here,” Metcalf said. “I told my parents and I was smiling on the phone. My mom started crying, dad started crying, but I was just smiling. Then when I sat here I realized I was here. DK it’s time for you “. give a step forward”.
Schneider thanked Metcalf for the patience and professionalism he displayed during a negotiating process that the GM said began at the scouting combine in February and was repeatedly marred by mega-deals signed by other top receivers this offseason.
Metcalf drew laughs when he alluded to some tricks he used in the negotiations. It was part of his response when asked if it was more stressful to see his counterparts getting paid.
“Not because… something was going to be done,” he said. “It was going to be here … as much as I cheated on John. Just to let everyone know I wanted to be here. I wanted to play here and I’m glad we did something.”
Metcalf’s deal includes a $30 million signing bonus, a source told Schefter, which is the highest for a wide receiver. His $24 million new money average ties Metcalf to the Buffalo Bills Stefon Diggs as the sixth-highest-paid receiver in the NFL and keeps him under contract in Seattle through the 2025 season.
“Just a big thank you to everyone who helped me get to this point in my life,” he said. “I’m not done yet. That chip hasn’t gone anywhere.”
Carroll had just referenced the proverbial chip in the shoulder Metcalf developed after falling to the final second-round pick in the 2019 draft, six months after suffering a neck injury that ended his final season at Ole Miss. and threatened to end his football career.
Schneider recalled how determined Carroll was before that draft to land Metcalf. After the Seahawks chose safety marchioness blair midway through the second round, Carroll walked out of the draft room to talk to Seattle’s newest player. That’s when Schneider struck a deal with the New England Patriots to trade him to No. 64, where Seattle would take Metcalf. When Carroll sat back down, Schneider played it slowly before delivering the good news.
“He was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. Is DK Metcalf going to be on our team?'” Schneider said. “It was great to be able to have that trade right there. Bam, we made the trade and then we were able to get to the 64th pick. I’ll never forget it. It was a really exciting moment.”
Since then, Metcalf has had the most prolific start of any catcher in franchise history. His 3,170 receiving yards are the most of any Seahawk in his first three seasons, while his 29 touchdowns in that span are one shy of the club record.
Metcalf said it was hard to miss last month’s mandatory minicamp, which he missed due to an unexcused absence, and watch the first two practices of training camp during his brief “wait.” He is expected to participate in the next Seahawks practice on Saturday. He said there is no problem with his left foot, which was surgically repaired after playing with a fracture most of last season.
“Seeing him be so much more than just a football player is a huge thrill for me,” Carroll said. “Everybody talks about him being a great athlete, he’s a beast, he’s all these kinds of things. I don’t like to talk about him. This guy is a complete person and he has a lot to offer.”
Metcalf wants to open restaurants in Mississippi that promote healthier eating and combat the state’s obesity problem.
“I really didn’t realize until now that I have the opportunity to help so many people at home and help my family,” she said. “And just thinking back to when I broke my neck and they told me I wasn’t going to be able to play football again. And now that this moment happens, it’s just a blessing… I just thank everyone because it took a while.” town just for me to get here today.