The Seattle Seahawks of Pete Carroll were a force to be reckoned with in the NFL. Russell Wilson, DK Metcalf, DJ Fluker, Paul Richardson, Tedric Thompson, and who not, that Seahawks squad was probably one of the most versatile NFL teams to ever exist. But it was the Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett who was key to Carroll’s setup. Lockett may have not grabbed headlines during his Seahawks days, but the former Seahawks HC knew his value so well. During the 2022 season, Carroll even said to Lockett, “You are the best receiver I have ever seen.” However, things took a different turn when Mike Macdonald took over as Seattle’s new head coach. Now, with the 2025 free agency in full swing, neither of the Seahawks’ star WRs remain on Macdonald’s roster—and Metcalf isn’t holding back on what really went wrong.

DK Metcalf, the thunderous wideout whose recent revelations crackled like a live wire on The Get Got Podcast. Remember the 2019 Seahawks? A ragtag crew led by a rookie Metcalf, a resurgent Geno Smith, and Lockett—the human joystick who turned third downs into art. They toppled the 49ers in a Monday night duel, their chemistry tighter than a Seattle raincloud. But dynasties crumble.

Just last year, Lockett opened up about what makes Pete a different coach than Macdonald. While Carroll believed in giving ultimate freedom to his players and going all out in the field, Macdonald’s approach is more systematic. “The philosophy of how Pete and Mike kind of go when it comes to coaching. The thing about Pete is that he gave so much freedom and I love that aspect and approach. Because if you give somebody freedom, they can not hide who they are,” the former Seahawks WR said. “With Mike, I like the fact that he is bringing structure because it’s like, ‘Hey, this is who we are. This is how we are gonna be and you got to be able to tap into that and if you are not gonna buy in, then you are pretty much not going to be here.'”

It was no wonder why Lockett’s 2024 season under Mike shrank like a shrinking violet—recording just 600 yards. And Metcalf was a little too honest about what pushed him and Lockett out of Seattle.

On March 20, Metcalf sat with Marshawn Lynch on Da Get Got Podcast, peeling back the curtain. “Me and Lock would watch the defense,” he said, voice tinged with fire. “We’d watch the DBS. We would make notes and send them to the group. In the receiver group message with the quarterbacks and the receiver coach. And everybody on Tuesday while they’re doing film study and game plan; me and Lock would take our own time put the things together.” Then the frustration simmered.

“Now when you start switching out OCs, switching out head coaches, you start getting different messages from what you’re used to. The Pete [Carroll] messages were gone. So now it was just six outsiders trying to get a new message,” Metcalf added. Meanwhile, Tyler Lockett’s release wasn’t just business.

It seemed like a betrayal to Metcalf. He recalled their final days: “That was like the start of Lock coming to me like, yeah, bro, I don’t think I’ma be here next year with the way that they doing me. I’m like, that’s my brother. Lock just came off a band last year. Like, Lock had if not 1,000 (receiving yards in 2023) it was (darn) close to it, bro,” Metcalf said. The hardest part?

Seeing his brother in arms, being put through such a situation. “It’s like, I had to sit and watch my brother be told you not good enough no more. And that was basically the hard part for me because I see this man cooking on Sundays.” In 2023, Lockett neared 1,000 yards yet again, his hands steady as ever. But 2024 brought new regimes, and colder calculations.

Top Comment by goody ari

Time for a change. New coach new philosophy.

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Debate

Seattle’s front office cut ties, trading Metcalf days later. The message? Even legends expire. Grubb, the new OC, clashed with veterans. “So I’m like, ‘Okay, on third down you have to run past him early because they’re just going to sit at the sticks.’ On third-and-4 we called all hitches.” Metcalf fumed, recounting a sideline blowup…

For Metcalf, Pittsburgh’s steel embrace now promises revival. But Tyler Lockett? His wings still seek a nest.

Pete Carroll’s redemption chorus with Lockett?

Las Vegas hums with possibility. CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin notes the Raiders’ “strong Seattle connections”—Carroll, Geno Smith. Lockett, though 33, remains a route savant. His 8,594 career yards whisper of chapters left unwritten…

His downfield savviness could still be valuable in a reserve role, though, and Las Vegas offers strong Seattle connections in Pete Carroll and Geno Smith,” Benjamin argues. Pair him with Smith again? Poetry in motion. And Carroll, ever the players’ coach, knows Lockett’s worth.

In Vegas’ neon glow, a reunion brews. Imagine Lockett mentoring Brock Bowers, his wisdom weaving through young talent. The Raiders, hungry for resurgence, could offer solace. As Metcalf said, “I think the grass is greener on the other side.” For Lockett, maybe it’s silver and black.

“Change is the law of life,” John F. Kennedy once mused. In football, as in life, loyalty battles business. Metcalf chases new horizons. Lockett lingers at the crossroads. Will Vegas rewrite his song? Or does Seattle’s mist still cling to his feathers?

What’s your take—should loyalty trump the grind?