One of the biggest bombshells of this NFL offseason so far was when former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf requested a trade in early March, a saga that ultimately ended with him leaving the only team he's ever known to head to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaking on Marshawn Lynch and Michael Robinson's Get Got Pod podcast after the fact, the wideout explained that he had started to feel a bit like an "outsider" inside the Seahawks building, seeing as he was one of just a few players left from a strong 2019-era team. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer had reported that another reason for the exit was that Metcalf "wanted to be paid now."
But whatever the rationale, ESPN's Brady Henderson has now reported that Metcalf had actually "requested trades multiple times in recent offseasons," per team sources, which sheds a bit more "light on Seattle's decision to deal Metcalf to the Steelers for the No. 52 selection and a swap of late-round picks."
Per Henderson, who was reporting out of the NFL's annual meeting, "the Seahawks didn't plan on trading [Metcalf] at the start of the offseason, but they had to weigh Metcalf's prolonged unhappiness in addition to the inherent risk of signing a player to a massive third contract."
He added that the wideout "preferred" landing with the Houston Texans or Los Angeles Chargers, which matches buzz from around that same time, but "his contract situation complicated the matter, as it meant the Seahawks had to find a trade partner that would not only give them enough compensation in return but also be willing and able to sign Metcalf to a new deal."
To that end, the New England Patriots could have been another option, but Metcalf "effectively nixed" that possibility with comments he made before the request, claiming he had no interest in a move to Massachusetts.
And that ultimately brings us to Pittsburgh.
The Steelers are an interesting fit for the 27-year-old receiver; he was one of the best players available this offseason, so why would he want to go to a team without a solid starting quarterback? There is the money side, of course, but perhaps it also had something to do with his asking out of the Seahawks franchise before.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as DK Metcalf Requested Trade From Seahawks 'Multiple Times' Before Going to Steelers.