Seattle Seahawks Pro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf grew up watching the Chicago Bears.
His father, Terrence Metcalf, was a former offensive lineman and a third-round pick for the Bears in 2002. The senior Metcalf spent seven seasons in Chicago, playing in 84 games and starting 25 in that span.
DK, of course, is currently one of the best young wideouts in the NFL. The Seahawks snagged Metcalf with the final pick in the second round (64th overall) in 2019, and he has hauled in 3,170 yards and 29 touchdowns on 216 receptions since.
After Seattle parted ways with franchise quarterback Russell Wilson along with longtime linebacker Bobby Wagner, trade rumors began flying around Metcalf, who is entering the fourth year of his rookie deal. While Seahawks coach Pete Carroll says the team “intends” on keeping Melcalf, he said the same thing about Wilson just before he was traded.
It’s clear Seattle is in mid-rebuild, and it’s entirely possible the team would be willing to trade Metcalf for the right price. Could the Bears be that team?
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Bears GM Ryan Poles Would Have to Mortgage Future, Which Is Highly Unlikely
Considering the current wide receiver market, the Bears simply can’t compete for Metcalf. The Kansas City Chiefs sent Tyreek Hill to Miami in exchange for five draft picks, including a 2022 first-rounder. Hill also inked a four-year, $120 million extension. The Green Bay Packers also sent All-Pro receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for 2022 first- and second-round selections while also giving him a five-year contract worth $141.25 million.
New Bears GM Ryan Poles has been patient and frugal so far in free agency, and he hasn’t acquired any big name players via trade since his arrival. It’s been quite the opposite, actually. Poles traded superstar Khalil Mack away to the Chargers in his first major move as GM, and while the team has the cap space to make a deal at the moment (they have over $15.5 million available, per Spotrac), they don’t have a first rounder this year, and they don’t the draft capital to lure the likes of Metcalf.
Now, if the Bears wanted to throw in some young players in addition to draft picks, it might be possible. Stud linebacker Roquan Smith was rumored to be of interest to the Seahawks back when the Bears were linked to Wilson in 2021.
Windy City Gridiron’s Robert Schmitz floated the idea of the Bears sending Smith — who, like Metcalf is due to cash in soon — as part of a trade package for Metcalf. While most Bears fans didn’t approve of trading Smith away, that’s about the only way acquiring a wideout of Metcalf’s caliber might be possible.
Despite it being unlikely, some analysts are still urging the Bears to take a swing:
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Metcalf’s Family History With Bears Would Make Great Story
In a December 2020 interview with Mark Grote on 670 The Score, Metcalf’s father said it would have been a “blessing” for his son, who became a fan of the Bears while watching his father play for them, to have been drafted by Chicago. Here’s what he told Grote:
“One thing I did ask him is: ‘What if Chicago who drafted you?’ Man, if that had happened, that would have been another godsend, another blessing for him. He’s a huge Chicago fan just because, you know, that’s our family. So we would’ve loved that.”
Hearing Terrence say his son “would’ve loved” to play for the Bears has to make the hearts of Bears fans hurt — but there’s always the possibility they could snag Metcalf in 2023 if he doesn’t get extended anywhere this year. Cross your fingers, Bears fans.
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