DK Metcalf to participate in USA track meet this weekend with eye on Tokyo Olympics

Just give Budda Baker a three second head start and DK will catch him and win the race — I guarantee it.

This weekend, the Seahawks receiver will participate in the Golden Games — a USA Track and Field event in Walnut, California. Metcalf is entered in the 100-meter dash slated for Sunday afternoon. If he’s fast enough, he could qualify for the US Olympic trials in June.

To do that, he’ll likely have to run 100 meters in about 10 seconds. Sheesh.

For reference, Metcalf ran a 4.33 40 at the 2019 NFL combine. And in his infamous Sunday night chasedown in Arizona, the receiver was clocked hitting 22.64 miles per hour. So, does he have a chance against actual sprinters? I don’t know. Someone do the math.

He may be fast, but Metcalf hasn’t raced competitively since high school. Back then, he didn’t even run the 100. He was a hurdler.

Metcalf hasn’t disclosed whether or not he actually wants to participate in this year’s postponed Olympic Games if given the opportunity, and neither has his agent. But why else would any non-track athlete want to run this year?

There’s a precedent for football players competing in other athletics, ya know. Over 35 NFL athletes have participated in Olympic track and field. “Bullet” Bob Hayes has a Super Bowl ring and an Olympic Gold medal. Marquise Goodwin long-jumped in London. Tommie Smith was an iconic 1968 gold medalist, he also caught a pass as a Cincinnati Bengal. And, before the pandemic, Tyreek Hill said he would consider attempting to qualify for the then 2020 Games.

Maybe Metcalf doesn’t care if he qualifies for U.S. trials. Maybe he’s just holding onto a commitment he made in October of last year.

Either way, we’ll find out if he’s fast enough on Sunday. Hopefully, he can catch Budda Baker at the finish line or, at least, imagine him there.