Seahawks' D.K. Metcalf: 'I'm Not Going to Change the Way I Play' Despite Penalties

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf has developed a penchant for drawing penalties this season, as he has frequently allowed his emotions to get the better of him. However, he doesn't plan on changing his ways.

"I'm not going to change the way I play," he said Wednesday, per ESPN's Brady Henderson.

Metcalf's latest infraction came during Sunday's 17-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals when he was flagged for unnecessary roughness for shoving cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt to the ground:

Per Henderson, that was Metcalf's fifth penalty of the season, including one offsetting. He leads all receivers and is tied with Seahawks guard Phil Haynes for 15th most among all players.

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll told reporters on Wednesday that he addressed the issue during a team meeting on Monday.

"We put all the penalties on the board in Monday's meetings and the guys who had the most were on the top, and he was up there with another guy," Carroll said. "We all have to acknowledge it and recognize what our issues are, whatever they are. It happens to be in this case he's getting called."

Carroll continued: "He knows. He's got to clean it up. We have to make sure we're aware of how they're calling stuff. He's a very aggressive player, very physical and it stands out and he draws attention because of that. So we've got to be cleaner. He knows it and he's got to get it done."

Despite his coach imploring him to tone it down, Metcalf remained defiant in the face of criticism.

"It was just a board to me. If you look at the penalties, it was a taunting, unnecessary roughness, face mask, holding and I think it was one more in there," he said, referring to an illegal blindside block. "So I'm doing pretty good if I look at it and judge myself, how I play. I just try to be consistent and have clean hands or whatever the case may be, but I'm not going to change who I am as a player or a person."

Metcalf's latest comments are a departure from his sentiments from earlier this season when he acknowledged that he needed to avoid drawing penalties. After getting fined following Seattle's season opener against the Los Angeles Rams, the 25-year-old said he's "got to be better."

Now, he's singing a different tune.

"I'm just going to leave that up to everybody else," Metcalf said when asked if he feels like he has made progress in the penalty department. "I don't feel like I was a problem or I needed to make progress in a certain area. Football is a violent sport, and it's my one opportunity to be violent, on game day. So I'm just going to continue to do that."

It will be interesting to see if Metcalf adjusts his attitude when the Seahawks return to action on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.