Tyler Lockett: Seahawks show ‘trust and faith’ in him with contract extension

Tyler Lockett and Paul Richardson are still friends even if they’re no longer teammates.

But when they were teammates for the Seattle Seahawks, the receivers had an understanding that one of them would likely remain while the other went elsewhere. In March, Richardson signed a free-agent deal with the Washington Redskins.

‘I knew Paul (Richardson) was going to be OK and he knew I was going to be OK’

On Wednesday, Lockett, who has doubled as a highly effective returner, signed a three-year, $31.8 million contract extension with the Seahawks.

“Me and Paul kind of knew it was going to be a give-or-take thing,” Lockett told John Clayton and Pat Kirwan on Movin’ The Chains. “We kind of new our futures with the Seahawks were going to be based off of each other and what direction that they wanted to be able to take. But regardless of what direction they did take, we just had to trust the process. I knew Paul was going to be OK and he knew I was going to be OK.

‘I knew that it showed how much trust and how much faith that they had in me’

“It sucks that we’re not on the same team anymore, because I built that brotherhood with him and that bond. He was my best friend. Now, I’ve got to be able to watch him play and support him from afar instead of seeing him every single day and grinding with him on the team. But when I did see that he left, I knew that it showed how much trust and how much faith that they had in me, knowing that I could grow in my receiver game to be able to help out this team. And that’s exactly what I’ve just been trying to do every single day.”

For Lockett, the extension is an affirmation of the Seahawks’ belief that he has been “trying to do everything possible” to help them win.

‘I’m happy to be here for four more years’

“And whether my role expands or whether it stays the same, they wanted me here and I’m happy to be here,” Lockett said. “I’m happy to be here for four more years to be able to do whatever I can to try to help this team win, try to help this team be successful and bring out the best in each and every person’s potential on our team.”