Seahawks' DK Metcalf on Russell Wilson Trade: 'I Never Thought He Was Gonna Leave'

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf said he was caught off guard when the team traded longtime starting quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos.

Metcalf explained during an appearance Friday on the KG Certified podcast (via TMZ Sports) he found out about the blockbuster deal, which was reported in early March before becoming official last week, while doing an endorsement shoot with Gatorade.

"I never thought he was gonna leave Seattle," Metcalf said about Wilson. "I was in just in shock because I didn't think it was gonna happen."

The Seahawks' moves didn't stop there, as they proceeded to release Pro Bowl linebacker Bobby Wagner, who'd been a defensive cornerstone since 2012, signaling the end of a highly successful era on both sides of the ball.

"So, my mind was like 'All right, Russ gone, what do I do?' Later that night, Bobby gets cut ... and me and Bobby—that was my guy," Metcalf told NBA legend Kevin Garnett. "When he left, that hurt. That was my big brother."

He added: "It's my time in Seattle, now. That's the way I look at it."

While the 24-year-old standout receiver is definitely one of the key building blocks heading toward the 2022 season, his future with the Hawks is less than certain.

Metcalf is entering the final season of his four-year rookie contract, and his next deal will come with a massive raise over the $4 million base salary he's set to earn this fall.

The wideout market was reset with two blockbuster deals this offseason. Davante Adams signed a $140 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders, and Tyreek Hill earned a $120 million contract with the Miami Dolphins.

Even if Metcalf doesn't quite match those numbers, he should push toward a nine-figure deal when he becomes a free agent. Seattle could delay that process by using the franchise tag in 2023.

Seahawks general manager John Schneider was noncommittal about the receiver's future during an appearance Thursday on 710 ESPN Radio Seattle (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk):

"There's a sense of shock when you see where the numbers are going, especially at that position. Everybody loves DK. He's a great player. People have to game plan for him, and he influences every single game that he's a part of, whether it's people shifting coverages his way or him just running straight through the coverage or having guys play man where he's just tossing people off him. He influences games, there's no question about it. We love him. Everybody in the building loves him. Specifically with extensions and contract situations, we don't get into that."

If Seattle is heading toward a rebuild, and it has that feel with Drew Lock and Jacob Eason as the only quarterbacks on its current roster, signing Metcalf to a lucrative long-term extension might not fit in their plans, despite his game-changing ability.

He sounds ready to take on a leadership role at least for one season, though.