The Los Angeles Chargers are coming off a brutal loss in the Wild Card of the playoffs. This loss has Chargers fans either in need of a break from the team or for excitement to build off of to go into the 2025 season. No better start for the hype train than a report by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. A report that predicts the Chargers to trade for the Pro Bowl receiver, DK Metcalf.
Chargers Rumored to Trade For All-Pro Wide Receiver
Fowler spoke with NFL executives, scouts, and personnel people to predict what is going to happen in the next few months of the off-season, and one of the more common predictions was that Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz is going to make a splash in the wide receiver room.
The fit to the Chargers makes almost too much sense. Metcalf’s contract situation in contrast to the cap situations of both the Chargers and Seahawks, coaching connections, as well as fit and need in the offense all are key calling cards for why these big-name NFL individuals are predicting for this move to happen.
Even players are getting on board with this idea.
Daiyan Henley randomly reposted a picture of himself and DK Metcalf from 2022
byu/wildwing8 inChargers
The Reasoning for the Chargers to Trade For DK Metcalf
Chargers Need Another Receiver + Coaching Connections
Justin Herbert needs help, and no better than Metcalf to come in and give the desperately needed support. The Seattle Seahawks star, DK Metcalf has over 900 yards in every season of his career with the team and has had a peak of 1300 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The only help Herbert truly had in the receiving game was rookie Ladd McConkey. The second-round selection in his own right had an incredible season, but he does not play the “X” receiver role and is not the outside jump ball threat needed for Herbert and his reliance on “trust” throws.
As it stands, the Chargers have McConkey, the up-and-down Quentin Johnston, and depth pieces on the roster. You add a Chargers trade for Metcalf to the mix, you then have a complete receiver room for 2025. You could very well re-evaluate for 2026, allowing him to walk for a compensatory selection, in classic Ravens-esque fashion (Where GM, Hortiz comes from.)
Moving on from the obvious fit in the room, Metcalf was with Chargers wide receiver coach, Sanjay Lal for three seasons. These three seasons were the top 3 best seasons from Metcalf, showing that Lal no matter the exact offensive staff role he is in, knows how to utilize the big-bodied wide receiver.
A Salary Cap Point of View
Let’s start from a Seahawk point of view. Metcalf’s contract has a major cap hit of 31.875 million dollars and he is in the last year of said contract, there is not a better time for him to be traded away. Trading away Metcalf now would allow you to save nearly 11 million off the books, and collect a day two selection coupled with day three selections.
These tools would allow you to look to free agency and the draft for other options that may be cheaper, younger, or more of a scheme fit.
If you are the Chargers with upwards of 100 million dollars in cap space (after a cut of Joey Bosa & Trey Pipkins) why not trade for the guy who will ignite your offense, in the year that you are looking to go “all-in” on. After this contract is up, you can either collect the aforementioned compensatory selection or sign him to a new deal, which would likely be cheaper than the top of the market value due to his age.
Last Word on DK Metcalf
All in all, this move would be exciting for both parties, as some Seahawks fans are ready for Jaxson Smith-Njigba to fully take over as the wide receiver one, and most Chargers fans are excited to finally see a real “X” receiver since Mike Williams next to Herbert.
SI’s quote from an anonymous NFL coordinator said it best: “The Seahawks can still get good value for him, and he could pair with Ladd McConkey for a good inside-out tandem,” an NFL coordinator said of Metcalf. “[Justin] Herbert to Metcalf would be scary. I think [Los Angeles] will be looking to help the quarterback in a big way.”
Main Photo: Steven Bisig – USA Today Sports
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