(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
If the Seattle Seahawks decide to begin a hard reset under first-year head coach Mike Macdonald, then star wide receiver Tyler Lockett should emerge as a top trade candidate.

The Seahawks have already bid farewell to franchise legend Bobby Wagner (signed with Washington) and former Pro Bowl safeties Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams. With Tyler Lockett about to enter his age-32 season, the Seahawks should at least gauge his value on the trade market.

Seattle already has a superstar wide receiver in D.K. Metcalf, and 2023 first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba seems poised for a bigger role in 2023. That leaves Tyler Lockett expendable with just two years remaining on his deal.

If Seattle is willing to unload Lockett, then there’s one team in the AFC that especially stands out as a landing spot for his services: The revamped Aaron Rodgers-led New York Jets.

The Jets signed ex-Los Angeles Chargers star Mike Williams to a one-year deal last week to fill their WR2 void. Williams and young star Garrett Wilson should be an explosive tandem together, but what if the Jets added one more game-wrecker to take this offense to another level?

What A Tyler Lockett Trade Could Look Like

The Jets are strictly in win-now mode with Rodgers turning 41 years of age in December. The long-term future is not the focus right now, and that’s why general manager Joe Douglas shouldn’t be nervous to overpay a little for Tyler Lockett if necessary.

Lockett has an awfully high cap hit of $18.55 million for 2024, per OvertheCap.com. That number jumps to $30.895 million for 2025, when Lockett will be 33 years of age. It just doesn’t make sense for a retooling Seattle team to pay Lockett that much.

The Jets should offer their 2024 third-round pick (No. 72 overall) to Seattle in exchange for Lockett. That’s a fair price for a consistent 1,000-yard threat who would greatly bolster the Jets’ Super Bowl chances over the next two years.