DK Metcalf: Top Landing Spots for Star WR after Trade Request

DK Metcalf requested a trade from the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday after six seasons with the franchise, and he wants to join a title contender.

The two-time Pro Bowler will be coveted on the trade market despite the fact he is entering the final year of his contract. The 27-year-old garnered plenty of hype on his way into the NFL after a monster NFL Combine performance ahead of the 2019 draft, in which he was selected 64th overall.

In 97 career games, Metcalf has caught 438 passes for 6,324 yards and 48 touchdowns, which translates to per-17-games averages of 77 catches, 1,108 yards and eight receiving TDs.

Here, we'll take a look at the teams who should try to acquire Metcalf, a player with all the tools to be a No. 1 target for a contending team.

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills have lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs four times in the last five years. Head coach Sean McDermott and quarterback Josh Allen will want to add star power and quality to the team.

Buffalo finished in the top 10 in passing yards, touchdowns, and net yards gained per pass attempt in the 2024 regular season, but Khalil Shakir was the team's leading wideout with 821 yards. Plus, no Bills player had more than five receiving touchdowns in 2024.

Metcalf could be just the guy they need, as he has gained at least 900 yards in all six of his professional seasons and has two seasons of double-digit touchdowns under his belt.

Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens finished seventh in passing yards, second in passing TDs, and first in net yards gained per attempt in 2024 despite attempting the second-fewest passes in the regular season, but their receiving corps could use some depth.

Only two wide receivers and two tight ends gained over 250 yards for Baltimore last season, and Metcalf would add some power to the speedy receiver duo of Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.

Like Buffalo, Baltimore has not reached the title game since the Chiefs and QB Patrick Mahomes rose to prominence late in the 2010s, so adding a target who can sustain a big workload could help the Ravens in their hunt for the franchise's first championship since the 2012 season.

Denver Broncos

QB Bo Nix exceeded expectations by a wide margin in his rookie season as he led Denver to the playoffs, but head coach Sean Payton's team finished the regular season ranked 20th in passing yards with 3,610.

Nix did not have a balanced receiving corps at his disposal, with leading target Courtland Sutton (1,081 yards) gaining more than twice as many yards as the team's second-leading receiver (Marvin Mims, 503 yards).

Adding a player of Metcalf's pedigree would make both Nix's and Sutton's jobs easier. The Broncos defense allowed the third-fewest total points and the fewest points per drive last season, so the front office should focus on filling out the skill positions this offseason.

Washington Commanders

The Commanders are a similar story to the Broncos, except they have the third-most available cap space this offseason. Washington had a rookie QB in Jayden Daniels who starred en route to winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and leading his team to the NFC Championship, but his receiving corps seriously lacked depth.

Washington's top receiver was Terry McLaurin with 1,096 yards, but their second-leading receiver was 34-year-old tight end Zach Ertz with 654 receiving yards. While Daniels and McLaurin formed a stellar duo all season long, the team needs at least one more dependable receiver if it wants to make another deep playoff run.

Metcalf, entering his age-27 season, would give the team another WR in his prime years alongside McLaurin, who turns 30 early in the 2025 campaign. The Commanders may want to spend a draft pick on a younger receiver or pass-catching tight end for the future, but Metcalf and McLaurin would be a difficult pair for defenses to gameplan for.

Los Angeles Chargers

In head coach Jim Harbaugh's first year at the helm, the Chargers embraced his philosophy of dominating on the lines, playing stellar defense and running the ball efficiently, which led to an 11-6 record and a playoff berth. This season, the coach will want to get more out of star QB Justin Herbert.

WR Ladd McConkey, in his rookie season, led the team in receiving yards in 2024 with 1,149, a 438-yard margin over the team's second-leading receiver. The Chargers ranked 19th out of 32 teams in receiving yards and were 15th with 23 passing TDs.

A big, athletic target like Metcalf would be a gift from Herbert's perspective. The QB's best season was in 2021 when he surpassed 5,000 passing yards with Mike Williams and Keenan Allen as his main targets. Williams and Allen were 27 and 29 respectively that season, so bringing in 27-year-old Metcalf at his athletic peak would likely boost Herbert's production.

Las Vegas Raiders

Solving for their uncertainty at the quarterback position will be Vegas's priority this offseason, but once they do that, they'll have to get some help for the man under center. While the Raiders are not a contender, they have the second-most cap space to work.

Tight end Brock Bowers earned a first-team All-Pro honor as a rookie for his play last season despite a carousel under center, but the team's 7.0 intended air yards per pass attempt (24th in the NFL) shows the coaching staff's lack of confidence in QBs Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell's abilities to throw deep.

An addition like Metcalf, who ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the 2019 NFL Combine, would force opponents to rethink how they defend the Raiders. Whether Vegas gets a free agent veteran QB like Sam Darnold or drafts a QB like Shedeur Sanders, an experienced wide receiver would help that signal-caller's adjustment in Sin City.

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