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Seattle Seahawks GM John Schneider is walking a diplomatic tightrope with this DK Metcalf trade situation. He’s not burning bridges — far from it. The Seahawks are handling things with kid gloves, according to recent reports, choosing their words carefully at every turn.
But here’s the thing — all this sweet talk might be masking Schneider’s true intentions. The way he’s been praising Metcalf lately has many fans wondering if Seattle actually wants to keep their star receiver after all.
“Everything is in a cordial, professional place,” Schneider told ESPN’s Brady Henderson. “Obviously, DK has requested a trade, and we are entertaining that. We are talking to a ton of teams, taking offers, seeing what that looks like.”
Reading Between the Lines: What Schneider’s Comments Really Mean
Reading Schneider’s comments, you don’t get the sense he’s eager to ship off his two-time Pro Bowl wideout. It feels more like he’s just going through the motions — honoring Metcalf’s request without actually wanting to pull the trigger.
The Seahawks hold all the leverage here. With Metcalf under contract for another season, they don’t have to do anything right now if they don’t want to.
Schneider hasn’t minced words about the impact losing Metcalf would have on the team.
“You definitely want to know what’s going on before draft time,” he explained. “Because he’s such an important part of our team, the organization, the offensive philosophy that these guys want to move forward with on our new coaching staff, we want to know how we’re going to compensate for his loss if he’s not with us.”
That’s not exactly the language of a GM ready to move on.
The draft timing makes sense. With less than eight weeks until teams are on the clock, Schneider needs clarity on whether he’ll have his WR1 next season or if he needs to find a replacement. This gives Seattle time to evaluate offers and decide if they want to make a deal before or after the draft.
But man, listen to how he talks about Metcalf.
The affection in Schneider’s tone suggests this won’t be an easy decision. While some front offices quickly ship out unhappy players, Seattle seems genuinely torn about potentially losing their offensive centerpiece.
It’s worth noting that Metcalf has been a cornerstone of Seattle’s offense since being drafted. His blend of size, speed, and playmaking ability isn’t something you can easily replace with a draft pick or two.
Teams like the Chiefs, Steelers and Patriots are reportedly in the mix, but Schneider isn’t just looking for draft capital — he’s weighing what life without DK would actually mean for this franchise as they begin a new era under Mike Macdonald.
Sometimes, the best trades are the ones you don’t make.
