The Green Bay Packers want to take a swing this offseason. At 11-6, the Packers were good enough to make the playoffs one year ago, but they lost in the Wild Card round to the Philadelphia Eagles. While many believe that getting an edge rusher is one way to get over the hump, the other is to upgrade at wide receiver.
Those talks centered around Seattle Seahawks star DK Metcalf. Although an initial report suggested the Packers would have to part with their first round pick and either Romeo Doubs or Dontayvion Wicks, the pendulum has slowly swung in their favor thanks to the trade that sent Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders and Metcalf’s request for a trade.
But on Thursday, the Packers finally received some bad news including a dealbreaker that could put them out of the running for a blockbuster deal.
Dealbreakers Could Take Packers Out of DK Metcalf Sweepstakes
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini broke down Metcalf’s trade request on an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Thursday afternoon. Russini says the Seahawks were looking for a first- and third-round pick in exchange for the two-time Pro Bowler but no team has been willing to offer more than a third-round pick to get a deal done.
“For now, I can tell you, none of those teams are going to pay that price, none of them,” Russini said. “I’ve reached out to all of them. They’re not going to do it.”
@DMRussini tells Colin what she's hearing about the trade market for DK Metcalf pic.twitter.com/YtNHGyuAdp
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) March 6, 2025
The Seahawks feel like they are justified considering Metcalf is still a productive receiver entering his age-27 season. Metcalf has three career 1,000-yard seasons and posted 900 yards or more in all six seasons after he was selected out of Ole Miss in the second round of the 2019 draft. Seattle is also trying to take advantage of a weak free agent market that lost its top name when the Cincinnati Bengals placed the franchise tag on Tee Higgins.
Seattle’s problem is that teams haven’t been willing to fork out that price for top receivers. The San Francisco 49ers initially asked for a fourth-round pick when shopping Samuel this offseason but accepted a fifth-round pick when the Commanders agreed to take on his entire $17.4 million cap hit for next season.
It also is worth noting that a receiver hasn’t been traded for a first-round pick since A.J. Brown was traded by the Tennessee Titans to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for first- and third-round picks in the 2022 draft.
This all sounds like good news for the Packers’ pursuit until you get to the bad news. Russini noted that Metcalf wants a new contract that could pay him over $30 million per season annually and – here’s the dealbreaker – he wants to play in a warm weather city.
While the Seahawks could say “too bad” if they get a valid offer, it could serve as a no-trade clause considering he would be a one-year rental entering the final year of a three-year, $72 million contract extension signed back in 2022. It could also drive down the price, which could also be the facilitator for a deal.
For what it’s worth, The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar reported that the Packers have not talked to the Seahawks about a Metcalf trade despite previous reports. If Metcalf wants to go somewhere warm and the Seahawks won’t come down from their price, it may be a moot point anyway, leading the Packers to start over in their search for a top target.