Since turning 30 , Seahawks wideout Tyler Lockett has amassed his fourth-consecutive 1,000-yard season, married his longtime sweetheart and secured a realty partnership with the franchise. As training camp gets into full-swing, Lockett discussed approaching Year 9, the return of longtime teammate Bobby Wagner and recapping a summer to remember.

Lockett has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in four-consecutive seasons for Seattle, after falling just short of the mark (965 yds) in 2018. In that time, the Kansas State alum met and fell in love with his longtime girlfriend Lauren. Last September, Lockett popped the question at Kerry Park, as cameras documented the ceremonious proposal. Earlier this month, the couple got married, with plenty of Seahawks Legends and active players present. Including former quarterback Russell Wilson and linebacker Bobby Wagner, who rejoined the team this offseason after a season with the Los Angeles Rams.

"It was great to be able to have Russ there," Lockett said. "Russ invited me after my rookie year to his wedding out there in Liverpool, so it was pretty cool to just be able to go out there and watch him and Ciara get married. We been brothers for this whole entire time. He's been like my big brother giving me advice, helping me along the way, and was there for me if I ever needed anything. So it was really cool just for him to be able to come out there, to be able to support me and Lauren's union and like I said, we still talk to this day, we encourage one another and he knows if he ever needs anything he can call me and it's vice versa."

Lockett also praised wideout DK Metcalf's style choices after the national media pointed out the fifth-year receiver's decision to wear tuxedo shorts.

"DK (Metcalf) has more of the style than me," said Lockett. "I think Lauren would have gotten so upset with me if I did anything except wear a white and black tux."

The duo have combined for 35 touchdowns since the fifth-year Ole Miss alum came to Seattle in the 2019 draft. Over eight seasons, Lockett has played fewer than 16 games just once, playing 15 games in 2016. The elder statesman of Seattle's receiver group talked about his approach to the game entering season No. 9.

"For me I think I start looking at it a different way," said Lockett. "I start looking at it backwards. At some point, my time and career is going to be over and for me I want to be able to enjoy football as much as I possibly can. When you're younger and you're in the league it's like you're just enjoying it, everything is new, you never think that it's going to be over, but as you start getting older you start realizing you get one life, so after this life I don't get to play football no more. You just start trying to enjoy every single minute of it, try to get as great as you can, keep learning, keep getting better and then you just go out on your own terms."

With a talented receiving core behind him, Lockett reflected on what he's seeing from the group through the summer.

"I think we got a really good core man," said Lockett. "I think as camp goes on, I think a lot of guys will start to separate themselves. I think with everything that we are trying to build, we got guys that could be able to run after the catch. We got guys who can create, guys that can run routes, guys that have strong hands to be able to catch the ball. I mean I really like what we have, you know going into year nine I've seen a lot of receivers come and go. Whether I was out here as a rookie and now going into year nine I really like the talent, athletic ability, and all the stuff. Now it's just us being able to continue to learn the IQ of the offense and to be able to take our game up a notch every single practice."

One of those wideouts is Seattle's second first-round selection in April's draft, Ohio State wideout Jaxson Smith-Njigba. While many across the media expect Smith-Njigba to quell Seattle’s woes in the slot, Lockett contests the rookie's versatility and what he brings to the table.

"Oh man," said Lockett. "He's a ball player man. I mean I think the biggest thing about Jaxon (Smith-Njigba) is he is just an overall football player. Sometimes you know you just try to categorize somebody and say 'Oh he's just a slot receiver, oh he's just this.' Honestly, I think whatever we ask him to do, I think he's going to be able to do it. He has really good senses, has a really good feel of the game, he understands his body, his technique. He can do it fundamentally or he can just go out there and kind of freak it a little bit and get open. So, as you can already see, he already has a great connection with Geno (Smith) and that's only going to help us."

Lockett also talked about his quarterback Geno Smith, who is in a different situation this year as the clear starter who is coming off a season in which he earned Pro Bowl and Comeback Player of the Year honors.

"I think he's the same guy," said Lockett. "The biggest thing is just you know, he's already had a year under his belt. To be able to go back, watch himself, and understand what he did right and understand what he did wrong. There's a lot to talk about, people saying, 'Oh it was luck' and all this different type of stuff. But it's just other things that give him that drive and motivation to be able to continue to be great. Like he said he wants to play until he's 40, I think he's like 37 or 38—he's 32. I mean he's playing great, he's playing phenomenal. He's a great leader and he's only getting better, whether it's on the field or off the field. He talks to us all the time and that's the biggest thing, is you just want to continue to develop that relationship off the field because it really does help when you get on the field."

A new year means another opportunity to improve, and ultimately return to the playoffs. Lockett discussed the improvements the offense can make to create bigger headaches for defensive coordinators league-wide in 2023.

"I think it comes and goes with Shane (Waldron)," said Lockett. "Our coordinator just being able to help us learn how to do that because there's going to be times when he's like 'Hey man I see they're letting us go deep, we're going to take those shots and do it' and then there are times when Andy (Dickerson) the offensive line coach will bring us in and be like 'This is what's going on, this is how many timeouts we got' or 'Hey man this is four minute offense. We've got to be able to keep the ball, we've got to be able to keep the sticks moving.' A lot of that comes with us being able to take one down at a time and sometimes that's hard to do, but that's what plays like these out here in practice are for. We go from team blitz, to team run, to team pass, to seven-on-seven, to two-minute (drill) and you got to be able to move your mind because every time you got to be able to go to something new."

When he isn't improving his game or mentoring his teammates, Lockett has plenty of responsibility off-the-field. In the year since securing a real estate license for Liv n Serve Realty, Lockett has sold several homes and secured a sponsorship for his company with the franchise. The wideout-turned-agent discussed taking a leap of faith and reaching out to the Seahawks about the possibility of collaborating in another realm.

"I kind of brought it up," said Lockett. "I learned the worst thing that can happen is people say no, so I kind of reached out to the Seahawks upstairs on the third floor. I talked to them just about the opportunity to be able to do a partnership. I learned about them just throughout the years of me being here, they had one with Windermere and so when I heard that Windermere wasn't going to do it anymore, I had an opportunity to see if it was even possible to do it. We went through all the rules, the laws, the regulations, we did everything the right way and so I'm thankful to even be able to have a chance to do that. Honestly I think it says a lot about our organization just believing in us, giving us a chance to be able to start our second careers early, being able to find balance, and time management. To be able to do those types of things I can't speak for every organization, but I never heard of a lot of organizations even going that extra mile to do stuff to help a player even if it doesn't help them. It's different layers. It just depends on what layer you decide to sign up for when they did the negotiations. There are different marketing tools, techniques, and different strategies. It's similar to Zillow."

This offseason, Seattle also saw the return of linebacker Bobby Wagner via free agency after spending a year with divisional-foe Los Angeles Rams. Lockett discussed the impact of having Wagner's presence back in the building for the players and fans alike.

"You see everybody around," said Lockett. "It speaks for itself. The first day out here, you saw everyone screaming 'Bobby, Bobby.' He's one of those guys that will go down as one of the best players to ever play in a Seattle Seahawk uniform. It says a lot. For us, we missed him. A lot of the veterans; we missed him. His presence, his conversations, and all of that different type of stuff. I've gotten the chance to grow with him ever since I came into the league as a rookie. Being able to see him comeback, it's more of an appreciation because Bobby (Wagner) went somewhere else. Not only did he thrive, but he came back, he was able to relay what it was like going somewhere else, and how much he missed being here. We don't take it for granted. We go out there and know that we have somebody that knows what he is doing, knows what to expect, and knows how to get everybody involved and everybody going."

But Lockett doesn't want Wagner's greatness to be lost in translation due to his consistency.

"It's crazy because sometimes that gets overlooked and taken for granted," said Lockett. "You look at a guy like Bobby, he's been successful and consistent for so long, people just think it's easy to get into year 12. The way my body feels in year nine, I ask myself 'How do you even do that?' You see it early on, when I got here, he did a great job taking care of his body and he still does now. He's the first guy in and the last guy out. It says a lot because a lot of us want to get back home and see our families, but this is your job. You have to be able to do what gets you prepared and what gets you right for the game. Some people can leave, and some people can stay. However, the type of mindset and mentality that Bobby has, it's a reason he's still playing heading into year 12, especially as a linebacker."

With each season, Lockett continues to show maturity as a player and leader, while growing as a person off-the-field. Seattle's jack-of-all-trades sets out to prove he's got plenty more in the tank, while showing his versatility. In every facet of life, Lockett continues to blossom. After a summer of love, reuniting with old faces and making history - Lockett approaches season No. 9 with plenty to be excited about.