In his 10^th season with the Seahawks, Tyler Lockett remains an integral part of the team and the offense, even if, as the season progresses, the numbers don't always show it.

That is evident in the way Lockett's teammates and coaches speak about the veteran receiver, and it also is demonstrated by the fact that, for the third time in the past four years, Lockett's teammates voted him the winner of the team's prestigious Steve Largent Award. The Steve Largent Award, which was first given to the Hall of Fame receiver in his final season, is voted on by players and given to the player or coach who best exemplifies the spirit, dedication and integrity of the Seahawks.

And in some ways, getting this award again in a less productive season makes it all the more meaningful for Lockett. Yes, like any receiver, Lockett would like the see the ball come his way more often, but regardless of how many targets he is getting on Sundays, Lockett has spent his 10^th season doing whatever he can to be the best possible teammate and leader he can be as the Seahawks push for an NFC West title.

"It means a lot, because they talk about how the award is about being the ultimate team player, and sometimes that's the hardest thing to do within just the business of football, just because everything is just all about what have you done lately?" Lockett said Friday after learning he had won the award again. "What's your stats looking like? Because stats and all of that is how you stick around. And so, I think being a team player is one of the toughest things to do just in general, because sometimes doing team things and being a team player, you get awarded for, but in a business like this, it's the opposite.

"But being able to try to just create an atmosphere of just love and togetherness and unity is just one of the things that you want to be able to bring for anybody coming in here, because the job is already as stressful as it is and the business is as stressful as it is, but if you can be able to provide a safe place for your teammates, players, and even coaches. I'm talking to coaches who are going through stuff and dealing with stuff, so just being able to try to make life easier on them when they're coming inside of this building, so that way, we can always try to get the best out of each other. And sometimes it's talking, sometimes it's listening, sometimes it's just lending a helping hand, but just being able to be there, I think, is really the big thing.

By winning the Largent Award again, Lockett becomes only the third player in Seahawks history to win it three times, joining Russell Wilson, who is also a three-time winner, and Mack Strong, who won a record five Steve Largent Awards.

Lockett will always have a strong connection with Largent beyond winning the award, because they are the two most productive receivers in team history. Largent, who retired as the NFL's all-time leading receiver in yards, catches and touchdowns, still has a big lead in all three of those categories in the franchise record books, but No. 2 in those stats is Lockett with 654 catches for 8,527 yards and 61 touchdowns heading into Sunday's game against the Vikings. The two also happen to share a birthday and were both born in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

"I think it's just really cool and really unique," Lockett said of his connection with Largent. "Obviously he had a phenomenal career and he did a lot of great things even off the field, and just being able to be the next person in line when it comes to stats and stuff like that, I think it just says a lot, maybe about our hometown, maybe about how we grow up or the way that we're treated, but we always try to be able to do right by people beside us and just try to make the best out of every moment and opportunity. And I think the Seahawks organization has done a great job also with just loving on their players and being there for their players."

Through 15 games, Lockett caught 42 passes for 533 yards and two touchdowns, hardly a bad season, but not on par with his production in recent years, which included four-straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2019-2022 before he had 894 yards last year. And of late, a lot of the targets that used to come his way have instead gone to second-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is on the cusp of his first 1,000-yard season, or DK Metcalf. Again, Lockett would love to see his numbers go up over the next few games to close out the year, but he's also enjoying the success of his teammates.

"Obviously it's been tough," Lockett said of his decrease in production. "You go from getting a certain amount of targets per game and for the whole year, and now all of a sudden a lot of that is way down, but you can't really control certain things like that. Obviously, I've gotten a chance to be able to see a lot of other people thrive. Jax has gotten to thrive. DK the beginning of season has gotten a chance to thrive. And so, it's cool being here, watching all of them come into their own. You see Jaxon coming into his own. And so just being able to watch it from a different perspective I think is really, really cool."

"I think mostly as me as an individual, it goes back to the team thing. Obviously, you try to be the best team player. Could I try to ask for the ball or demand the ball? Absolutely, but at the same time, I just don't want to be that guy to where it has to be forced. I feel like things should happen naturally, and if the ball's supposed to find me, then I think the ball's supposed to find me… In the first half of the year, I got a lot of chances to do stuff, but for whatever reason, the second half of the season, I really haven't gotten to really do much, but I mean, you can't control it. I'm glad I'm at least dealing with something like this in year 10 than year two or than in year three. But I think at the end of the day, when it comes to the opportunities that I've been given, the plays that I've been able to make, I think I've showed that I've still got it and I haven't lost it."

And Lockett isn't alone in that opinion that, despite a lack of recent production, he's still got it.

"Shoot, our fan base and our city knows Tyler better than anybody; he's one of us, we love him," Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. "I feel the production on a day-in, day-out basis of what he brings in the passing game and as a leader on our team. I know the ball hasn't found him as much, but I see it as just kind of a puzzle, especially the three main receivers working together. Each guy does what they do really well, and they complement each other really well. He makes the whole thing come alive on a day-to-day basis. So, he's due for some clutch plays. Those are in there, I know that. So, hopefully they'll show up this week."

Here is the history of Steve Largent Award winners:

1. 1989 WR Steve Largent
2. 1990 DE Jacob Green
3. 1991 LB Rufus Porter
4. 1992 DE Jeff Bryant & DT Joe Nash
5. 1993 FS Eugene Robinson
6. 1994 WR Brian Blades
7. 1995 LB Terry Wooden
8. 1996 DT Cortez Kennedy
9. 1997 LB Winston Moss
10. 1998 DE Michael Sinclair
11. 1999 LB Chad Brown
12. 2000 RB Ricky Watters
13. 2001 FB Mack Strong
14. 2002 FB Mack Strong
15. 2003 QB Trent Dilfer
16. 2004 FB Mack Strong
17. 2005 FB Mack Strong
18. 2006 FB Mack Strong
19. 2007 WR Bobby Engram
20. 2008 Head Coach Mike Holmgren
21. 2009 QB Matt Hasselbeck
22. 2010 CB Roy Lewis
23. 2011 DT Red Bryant
24. 2012 QB Russell Wilson
25. 2013 S Earl Thomas
26. 2014 S Kam Chancellor
27. 2015 CB Richard Sherman
28. 2016 S Kam Chancellor
29. 2017 LB Bobby Wagner
30. 2018 QB Russell Wilson
31. 2019 QB Russell Wilson
32. 2020 LB K.J. Wright
33. 2021 WR Tyler Lockett
34. 2022 WR Tyler Lockett
35. 2023 LB Bobby Wagner
36. 2024 WR Tyler Lockett