Metcalf suggested he used the threat of a “holdout” on general manager John Snyder to bring the two sides closer to a deal. “I was going to be here, as long as I was bluffing John,” Metcalf said Friday. “I wasn’t leaving, just to let you all know. I wanted to be here. I wanted to play here and I’m glad we got something done.” The holding tactic — reporting to camp but not participating until an agreement is reached — has been a more common negotiating ploy by players this cycle. And it worked. The Seahawks and Metcalf agreed to terms on a three-year, $72 million extension on Friday. The contract includes a $30 million signing bonus, the largest for a wide receiver, and a total of $58 million guaranteed. It runs through the 2025 season, just after the age of 28. He was the latest in a string of high-profile receivers across the NFL to receive huge new offers this offseason. The Seahawks and Metcalf began negotiations at the NFL Scouting Combine in March. Metcalf had entered the final year of his rookie deal and would have been a free agent next spring if a new deal hadn’t been reached. While the Seahawks could have used the franchise tag on Metcalf next spring, they seemed motivated to get a deal done now. Schneider also suggested he wasn’t concerned about Metcalf’s threats not to play. “We knew he was a guy that was going to be here, we had to be here a long time to give (the fans) a championship team,” Snyder said. Either way, the contract is done. Both sides can claim they won if they want, but the bottom line is that one of the best young receivers is locked up for the foreseeable future.
