In a surprising turn of events, the Seattle Seahawks made a bold decision by releasing Tyler Lockett this Wednesday, parting ways with the franchise’s second all-time leading receiver in a strategic move aimed at cost-cutting ahead of the new league year. Lockett, a seasoned 10-year veteran, had an impressive career in Seattle, amassing 661 receptions for 8,564 yards and 61 touchdowns, placing him second only to Hall of Famer Steve Largent in all three categories on the team’s career list.
Despite his notable achievements, Lockett’s productivity waned over the last two seasons, with a noticeable decline in his performance. He registered just 894 yards receiving in 2023, a figure that dropped to a mere 600 yards in 2024, marking his lowest output since 2017. The decision to release Lockett was partly driven by the fact that his salary cap number was set to skyrocket to over $30 million in 2025. By parting ways with him, the Seahawks managed to free up approximately $17 million in cap space.
At the age of 32, Lockett had a sense that the conclusion of the 2024 season might signal his departure from Seattle, expressing to reporters in January that, “maybe this isn’t the end, maybe it is the end, but I will always be a Seahawk through and through.” Seattle’s strategic moves have resulted in the creation of around $30 million in cap space this week, with the Seahawks also releasing four other veterans, including outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones on Tuesday.
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