Just throwing this out there again:
In four seasons with the Seahawks, he has caught 112 passes for 1,599 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Per season averages:
28 receptions
400 yards
2.5 TD
I don't mean to bag on Jermaine Kearse, because I have supported him throughout his time here, and want him to be on this team moving forward. I think him and Russ have a lot of trust with each other, and he is a serviceable No. 3. He's a very good No. 4 receiver.
But even for a team that hasn't passed the ball a whole lot, those numbers are mediocre. When I look at those numbers, I think of a No. 2 TE on a team with a middle of the pack passing offense. He's made some insanely clutch catches for us, and has also dropped some huge catches as well.
I don't see a team, unless they're just starved for a player that has significant playoff/SB experience, paying him much more than he earned with the Seahawks in 2015 ($2.4M). But who knows, maybe a team will throw him three or four years at $12-15M? In that case, I wouldn't mind if the Seahawks let him go elsewhere. He's still just 25, which is kind of hard to believe, and that will garner some interest.
I'm all for Jermaine maximizing his earning potential. He deserves it. He doesn't owe Seattle a hometown discount. By all accounts, he is an average to slightly above average NFL WR, so his future earning power isn't huge - at all. And if I'm him, I'm doing the same thing, especially for his reasons - he's worked hard, and he wants to help secure the future of his family.
I hope he stays, but will understand if he goes.