By Bob Condotta / The Seattle Times
The title of best receiver in Seahawks history will likely always belong to Steve Largent, whose longevity and production put most of the team’s receiving records out of reach.
But as the 2022 season has progressed, it’s become clear that Tyler Lockett is creating a legacy that figures to see him one day considered as the best receiver in the team’s post-Largent era.
Lockett began the season fifth on the team’s all-time receiving list.
But with 66 catches this year, Lockett is now third, passing John L. Williams and Doug Baldwin.
And with 515 for his career, he now has Brian Blades in his sights at No. 2 — Blades caught 581 passes in a career lasting from 1988-98. Largent is first with 819.
Lockett is also now No. 2 in receiving touchdowns with 52 (Largent is first with 100) and is third in receiving yards with 6,903 behind the 13,089 of Largent and 7,620 of Blades.
And in Sunday’s 27-23 win over the Rams in Los Angeles, Lockett tied a Seahawks record with a receiving touchdown in five consecutive games. He also had his 18th-career 100-yard game, passing Blades for third place on Seattle’s all-time most 100-yard receiving games list.
Tuesday came another honor as Lockett was named Seattle’s Walter Payton Man of the Year honoree for the second straight season. The award recognizes players for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field.
A release from the team announcing the award stated that among Lockett’s charitable acts is recently teaming with former teammate Bobby Wagner and they “reached out to the Renton School District to arrange payment that would cover the unpaid lunch bills for families that had fallen behind.” Lockett also has taken on charitable works in his hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
According to the team, Lockett is the first Seahawks player to be nominated for the Man of the Year Award in consecutive seasons since 2000, and one of only five players in team history with multiple nominations. Largent and Russell Wilson are the only two Seahawks to win the award.
Lockett told the team’s website that “it’s really cool to get nominated again. Just being able to understand going through that process, seeing all the Man of the Year nominees, seeing the things we did in the community. You don’t want to feel like you’re doing it for an award, but it’s cool that this is the award that says thank you for all the things that you’re doing.”
Sunday, it was the Seahawks saying thank you to Lockett for helping pull out a critical win.
Lockett’s 128 yards on nine receptions were the most receiving yards of any NFC player over the weekend.
None were bigger than the 10 yards he got to convert a third-and-10 from the Rams’ 40 with 1:41 to play. The play came after Geno Smith threw incomplete to Lockett on first and second downs.
Lockett said after the game the route called for him to go about 8 yards, but he decided to take it a little longer.
“I kind of went a little further than I should have,” Lockett said. “I was just trying to be able to anticipate the throw and get as much as I could, make it fourth-and-1 (or) fourth-and-2. Luckily was able to get the first down and keep the sticks moving.”
Lockett’s catch set up Smith’s game-winning 8-yard TD to DK Metcalf with 36 seconds left on a day when the two combined for 17 receptions for 255 yards as Smith set his Seahawk-best mark with 367 yards.
“They were monsters out there and they’re doing their own things,” Carroll said. “It is just classic Tyler catches, over the middle, right at the sticks, making the first downs. DK making the hard, tough catches. … The physical play that he shows, that he brings, and Tyler is kind of on the other end of the spectrum. They’re just a yin and yang in their styles and both marvelous players.”
If Seattle didn’t have both, then maybe the numbers for one of them would be higher.
Instead, the two are having almost identical seasons with Metcalf 12th in the NFL in receptions with 67 good for 798 yards and Lockett 13th with 66 receptions for 836 yards.
And that Lockett has always had a high-profile running mate at receiver — Baldwin from 2015-18 and Metcalf the last four seasons — has maybe obscured his production and consistency.
Lockett has made just once to the Pro Bowl — in 2015 as a rookie when he was named as a returner, though he played receiver in the game, as well.
But if Metcalf has any say in it, Lockett will break that skid this season.
“He’s one of the most underrated receivers in the league,” Metcalf said recently. “He does not get enough credit for what he does on and off the field. He deserves to be in the Pro Bowl.”
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