The most important player on any NFL team is invariably their starting quarterback. No matter how balanced or deep the rest of the roster might be, if the quarterback fails at his job or can't compete at a high enough level, the team will wind up flaming out of the first round of the playoffs at best.
The Seattle Seahawks are no exception, as Geno Smith's underrated game and competitive spirit have helped keep them relevant in the post-Russell Wilson era. However, there is no small amount of speculation that Smith might wind up splitting snaps with Sam Howell, who the team traded the equivalent of a seventh-round pick for to replace backup Drew Lock.
We don't see it happening, but if Smith either gets injured or he does wind up getting replaced by Howell during the season, then the most important player for the Seahawks might end up being two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf, who remains the greatest athlete on the team heading into his sixth season. Over at NFL.com, Eric Edholm picked Metcalf as Seattle's likely MVP this coming season.
"There might be a division of labor at QB, but they’re not planning to take Metcalf off the field anytime soon -- and for good reason. Tyler Lockett might be entering the twilight phase of his career, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba could pick up additional touches, but I can’t veer off Metcalf as being the biggest beneficiary of this new scheme. Grubb wants to dial up the big plays, and there are few better impact receivers out there, no matter who is at quarterback."
Whether it's Smith or Howell throwing him the ball, Metcalf has a chance in 2024 to finally push his game to its limits and reach his full potential. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb should recognize Metcalf as the team's top playmaker and accordingly draw up the most targets for him. If that happens and the passing game is as good as we expect, Metcalf could be in for a career year. Getting more separation from the scheme and more focus from Metcalf himself will have to be part of the equation.
If Metcalf doesn't end up as Seattle's top non-QB, he may be in danger of losing his status as the Seahawks' No. 1 wide receiver to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who's expected to take a big step forward this coming season. For now this is still DK's team, but fans should keep a close eye on JSN's total touches compared to Metcalf going forward.
