DK Metcalf Top NFL Landing Spots After Reported Geno Smith Trade to Raiders

The Seattle Seahawks are looking for a new starting quarterback after trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round draft pick.

This seismic moves follows the Seahawks' release of wide receiver Tyler Lockett after 10 years.

Seattle probably isn't done yet, though, as offense shake-up has likely isn't done just yet, as wide receiver DK Metcalf has requested a trade.

"Everything's in a very cordial, professional place. Obviously, DK has requested a trade and we are entertaining that," Seahawks general manager John Schneider said to Seattle Sports 710 AM's Dave Wyman and Bob Stelton earlier this week. "We are talking to a ton of teams, taking offers, seeing what that looks like, and yeah, here we go."

It's possible that Metcalf still stays aboard, per Schneider.

“The thing to understand here is that our responsibility to (Seahawks chair) Jody Allen, the 12s, first and foremost is doing what’s absolutely best for the organization, and then what’s best for the the player,” Schneider said.

“Hopefully both those things merge and it’s an ideal situation. Sometimes that happens, sometimes it doesn’t. Hopefully in this situation it does, and that would be great. But worst-case scenario, I mean, we have an amazing, explosive, powerful athlete playing receiver for us again in 2025. So we’ll see where this goes.”

If it goes in the direction of a trade, here's a look at three potential top landing spots.

Green Bay Packers

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The Packers and Seahawks were previously connected in Metcalf talks before news broke on a trade request, but the price tag is exorbitant, per Corbin K. Smith of Emerald City Spectrum.

Metcalf has amassed 900 or more receiving yards in all six of his NFL seasons. No Packers receiver has hit 900 or more receiving yards in any of the last three NFL campaigns, and Davante Adams is the only one to do so at all since 2017. Adams hasn't been in Green Bay since 2021, so the Packers could use a true No. 1 wideout. Enter Metcalf, who could form an excellent one-two punch with Jayden Reed, the team's leading receiver and one of its top playmakers each of the past two years.

Green Bay is also a young team that's made the playoffs each of the past two years, only to see its road to the Super Bowl blocked by the eventual NFC champion (2023 San Francisco 49ers, and last year's Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles). The Packers are in good shape to stay a perennial playoff contender but need some more help to take that extra step. Metcalf could be the answer.

New England Patriots

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The New England Patriots have the most cap space in the NFL at $125.1 million, per Over the Cap. That's nearly $35 million more than the next-closest team, the Los Angeles Chargers (more on them in a second).

So the Pats have room to not only take on the remainder of Metcalf's three-year, $72 million extension, but they could easily ink him to a long-term deal as well.

New England also sorely needs some offensive help, particularly explosive playmakers like Metcalf. The Patriots were one of three teams to score fewer than 300 points last year, and no pass-catcher amassed 700 or more receiving yards. Keyshon Boutte was the only wide receiver regularly receiving snaps to amass 11 or more yards per reception as well.

Also, the Patriots need to do whatever they can to invest around promising quarterback Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Maye looks like the future in New England based on his rookie year, but he needs more help. Enter Metcalf, who could be hugely beneficial to improving the pass game in year one of the Mike Vrabel era.

Los Angeles Chargers

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L.A. is second in the NFL in cap space at $90.7 million, per Over the Cap. Like the Pats, there's room to squeeze in Metcalf's remaining contract and a further extension.

As far as the personnel goes, the Chargers have a bona fide breakout star in Ladd McConkey, who amassed 82 catches for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season before adding a 9/197/1 stat line in the Wild Card round.

But the Chargers have question marks otherwise. Quentin Johnston, the team's 2023 first-round pick, showed improvement in year two with 55 catches, 711 yards and eight scores.

But he's had drop issues throughout his career and has been plagued by inconsistency at times. Johnson notably went catchless on five targets in the playoffs, one week after catching 13 passes for 186 yards on 14 targets.

The talent is undoubtedly there, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him realize that tremendous ceiling.

But the Chargers also need to strike while the iron is hot. The Bolts are in a promising era under head coach Jim Harbaugh, who led the team to an 11-win season, its highest victory total since 2018. Quarterback Justin Herbert enjoyed his best season (notably, only three interceptions and a No. 8 MVP race finish). And the Bolts have the cap space to burn to make the leap after a crushing loss to the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card round.

The tea leaves read that the Chargers have interest. CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones, wrote that the Chargers "are a team several around the league are watching as a possible" trade spot for Metcalf.

Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz had this to say.

Ultimately, it wouldn't be a surprise whatsoever if Metcalf lands in L.A.