Seahawks' DK Metcalf plans on embracing leadership role in 2022: 'It's my time in Seattle now'
Metcalf witnessed plenty of roster turnover this offseason
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The Seattle Seahawks are going to look very different in 2022. Longtime quarterback Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos, star middle linebacker Bobby Wagner was released and defensive back D.J. Reed found himself a nice new contract with the New York Jets. Now, all eyes shift to wide receiver DK Metcalf, who could be the next big name gone.
Metcalf is set to enter the final year of his current deal, and with how booming the wide receivers market has been this offseason, maybe he could be the next star Seahawk to leave Seattle. The Ole Miss product doesn't see it this way, however, as he's focused on being a leader for the team that drafted him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
"I'm going into Year 4, and I think it's time for me to step up and be a leader," Metcalf said during an interview on Kevin Garnett's 'KG Certified' show, (H/T NFL.com). "It's my time in Seattle now. That's the way I look at it."
Metcalf caught 75 passes for 967 yards and a career-high 12 touchdowns in 2021, but had to play three contests without his starting quarterback. The star wideout said he was shocked when Wilson was moved, because he thought he was going to finish his career in Seattle. With the Seahawks' No. 1 offensive leader now gone, Metcalf understands he's going to have to mature quickly.
"With Russ and Bobby there, it gave me more time to joke around ... in my eyes, I was able to take a back seat because we already had our designated leaders there," Metcalf said. "But now, since I've been trying to run from it for so long, God was like, 'Naw, I'm going to throw you in that fire early, see how you take it.'"
While Metcalf is focused on helping his team in 2022, who knows what the next few weeks will bring? With players like Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams being traded away for multiple draft picks and signing new contracts, could Seattle strike a deal with an interested club in return for worthwhile compensation that would aid in its rebuild? With how wild this offseason has been, don't rule anything out.
