
The Seattle Seahawks provided the shock of the offseason by trading Geno Smith, a two-time Pro Bowl quarterback, to the Las Vegas Raiders for just a third round pick. They’ve also cut bait with veteran receiver Tyler Lockett and traded DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a second-round pick.
They’re collecting draft assets and clearing cap space, but for what? What’s the Seahawks’ plan?
Many assumed they were targeting Sam Darnold as their next starting QB and that may very well be true, but now it sounds like Seattle could be monitoring another trade for their next quarterback.
Related: Top 2025 NFL free agents: Ranking top 30 players in NFL free agency
Trevor Lawrence is a ‘name to watch’ to become next Seattle Seahawks QB

There’s no debating that the Seattle Seahawks have something up their sleeves regarding the quarterback position. They wouldn’t have traded Geno Smith without something in the works.
It could be as simple as signing Sam Darnold, but a lot has happened since Smith got traded, including the Seahawks shipping DK Metcalf to Pittsburgh. Picking from all the options available, including potentially the Steelers, would Darnold prefer to play in Seattle above all else?
Another option, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, may be to trade for Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. It seems farfetched for the No. 1 pick of the 2021 NFL Draft to be traded already, especially when the Jaguars don’t have a capable starter ready to take over, yet Florio’s hearing some “chatter” in league circles.
“Currently, there’s chatter in some league circles that the plan could include making a run at making a trade. The name to watch is Trevor Lawrence. Here’s one last nugget. When a report emerged last month that the Steelers had called the Jaguars about Lawrence, we were told that it wasn’t the Steelers who had called. It was the Seahawks.”
PFT’s Mike Florio on Trevor Lawrence to the Seattle Seahawks
A trade for Lawrence could help make sense of why the Seahawks are clearing so much cap space by moving on from Geno, Lockett, and Metcalf. Lawrence has an average salary of $55 million. It would also explain why they’re collecting extra draft picks.
Yet, what would the Jaguars then do? One would think any trade for Lawrence would have to happen pretty quickly to allow both teams to pivot to their next move at quarterback.
Related: NFL free agency predictions 2025: Projecting landing spots for 32 top NFL free agents