Seattle Seahawks great Tyler Lockett comments on dramatically diminished role in offense

On December 23, 2024By Littum

2024 has been a year of change for the Seattle Seahawks. The biggest differences have been on the sideline, where they traded Pete Carroll for Mike Macdonald, but there’s also a major overhaul underway in the passing game. For the past five years, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett had dominated this department for the Seahawks, but they have both been eclipsed by Jaxon Smith-Njigbawho has developed into a legitimate star and one of the best slot receivers in the NFL this season.

Metcalf has seen his goal numbers drop dramatically over the past few weeks, but the reduction in Lockett’s role has been far more pronounced. For the season Lockett is having did not total over 75 receiving yards in any game and he has seen a total of two goals over the past two weeks.

As you might expect, Lockett handles his diminished role with his usual class and composure. Here’s what 16 said about it, according to Gregg Bell on the Tacoma News Tribune.

Tyler Lockett on declining goal percentage

“You know, obviously, it’s a lot different than previous years, but you know, again, I can’t really control a lot about the situation, you know? You just have to keep putting wins on film and really just take it from there, I think the biggest thing is that everybody knows as you get older, sometimes things change – and you have to be able to make the best of it.”

Lockett likely trades with a long-term leg injuryalthough it no longer appears in the damage report. He was very limited in practice early this season, and it’s not a stretch to think it still bothers him based on the brace he wears each week.

While the leg issue is undoubtedly a factor, Lockett’s decline appears to be a simple case of Father Time winning out, as he always does. For many years, Lockett was one of the best receivers in the league at getting separation, but this year he’s getting open far less often than we’ve become accustomed to.

Looking ahead, paying Lockett is impossible to justify a cap of nearly $19 million he starts in 2025 because of his production, so there’s a real chance he’ll be a salary cap hit. The move would cost the team about $14 million in dead money, but it would also free up $17 million in cap space.

Tyler Lockett on declining goal percentage

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