The Seattle Seahawks have had three straight winning seasons but haven’t won a playoff game since 2019. It seems like they’re ready to make a change, as their recent moves before free agency suggest a clear direction.
With the trades of DK Metcalf and Geno Smith, where do the Seahawks stand?
Where Do the Seahawks Stand After Trading Geno Smith and DK Metcalf?
Through their trades with the Las Vegas Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers, here’s what the Seahawks received and gave up:
Received:
- 2025 second-round pick (from PIT)
- 2025 third-round pick (from LV)
Lost:
- QB Geno Smith
- WR DK Metcalf
The Seahawks are now set to build through the draft. They have their own first-round pick (18th overall), plus two picks in both the second and third rounds. This gives them five picks in the first two days of the 2025 NFL Draft, the most of any team (pending compensatory picks).
The Seahawks now have 5 picks in the first 3 rounds.
– 1 (18)
– 2 (50)
– 2 (52)
– 3 (82)
– 3 (92) pic.twitter.com/l2aGZaELzY— Seahawks Today (@TodaySeahawks) March 9, 2025
However, the short term is going to hurt. In addition to the trades, Seattle cut several veterans before free agency. Tyler Lockett, Dre’Mont Jones, Rayshawn Jenkins, George Fant, and Roy Robertson-Harris were all released, saving the Seahawks more than $44 million in cap space.
Seattle needed that space just to operate, as they were projected to be over the cap before these moves. They could have used those savings to pay Smith and Metcalf the extensions they wanted, but doing so would have kept Seattle stuck in the middle of the NFL, without a clear path to championship contention.
Metcalf got a $30-million per year extension after the Steelers trade, while Smith is reportedly looking for a $40-45 million per year deal. Without these big contracts on the books, Seattle is projected to have the least cap committed in 2026, per Spotrac. This could give the Seahawks the chance to make big additions next offseason.
In the meantime, Seattle is very thin on offense:
- Sam Howell and Jaren Hall are the only quarterbacks under contract
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the only one of the team’s top three receivers still on the roster with Lockett cut and Metcalf traded
- The offensive line still needs upgrades after ranking 30th in PFSN’s 2024 rankings
Seattle could be one of the worst offenses in 2025, even if they sign a veteran like Sam Darnold. Despite having strong skill players in the past, the Seahawks ranked 20th in PFSN’s Offense+ rankings last year, their lowest since the stat began in 2019. Here’s how Seattle’s offense has graded out:
Seattle Seahawks Offense+ Grades
- 2019: 78.0 (C+) ranked 12th
- 2020: 82.6 (B-) ranked 12th
- 2021: 75.3 (C) ranked 17th
- 2022: 76.7 (C) ranked 12th
- 2023: 70.9 (C-) ranked 13th
- 2024: 71.2 (C-) ranked 20th
The Seahawks did show promise on defense, ranking sixth under Mike Macdonald in his first season as defensive coordinator. That unit will need to carry the team in the short term, especially in a tough division.
Ultimately, low expectations aren’t what Seattle fans are used to, but this step back could be what they need to get back to Super Bowl contention. With a lot of cap space and draft picks in 2026, the Seahawks’ rebuilding period might not last long.