Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf lost his mind during an angry tirade on Sunday afternoon. As it would turn out, the meltdown was something that 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan had planned to happen the entire time. It was a (semi)calculated incident!
Metcalf is a known hot head. He has issues controlling his emotions and often lets frustration get the best of him. There have been multiple instances during which his anger led to a penalty.
This weekend was no different!
The sequence started when Metcalf smashed his helmet and broke an object on the sideline after an ugly interception from Drew Lock. One drive later, Metcalf suplexed linebacker Fred Warner and sparked a pretty sizable brawl. The unsportsmanlike conduct call led to his ejection.
According to Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle, that is exactly what Shanahan wanted!
San Francisco’s seventh-year head coach told his players before the game that he expected Metcalf to blow. He showed the team a video of past incidents and said “we will get ’14’ to lose his mind.”
And then Shanahan made a promise.
Christmas present for whoever gets him!
— Kyle Shanahan, via the SF Chronicle
Warner was the one who got him. Mission successful.
Metcalf lost his cool, Warner kept his. Metcalf was thrown out of the game, Warner stayed on the field.
His head coach owes the veteran defender a Christmas present!
Now that this information is public, other NFL teams are going to take a similar approach with DK Metcalf if they weren’t already. The big pass-catcher is a big piece of Seattle’s offense and getting him out of the game because of a meltdown is a big boost for the defense’s ability to keep points off of the board.
Shanahan better pay up! Hopefully, the reporters out in the Bay area will keep him honest and hold him accountable for his promise. His legal bounty-like system worked!