Nov 11, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks tight end Nick Vannett (81) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the first half of the game against the Los Angeles Rams at the Memorial Coliseum. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Ex-Seahawks third-round pick signs with 9th team in 10 seasons

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Connor Benintendi | Last updated Aug 5, 2025 12:00 PM ET

Over the last 15 years, tight end has been one of the Seattle Seahawks' most underutilized positions. Former starter Noah Fant reached 500 receiving yards just once in his three seasons with the team, and the last Seattle tight end to truly put together a top-end receiving season was Jimmy Graham in 2016 (923 receiving yards and six touchdowns).

Even in Graham's case, it felt like the Seahawks were funneling him targets — not allowing the production to come within the natural flow of the offense. Seattle has had other solid players over the last decade, including Luke Willson (2013 fifth-round pick), Will Dissly (2018 fourth-round pick) and Colby Parkinson (2020 fourth-round pick), but they were role players with the Seahawks.

In the middle of all those draft picks was 2016 third-rounder Nick Vannett, who was taken No. 94 overall out of Ohio State.

Before the Seahawks picked Elijah Arroyo 50th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, Vannett was the earliest tight end selection by the team since John Carlson in 2008. But the 6-foot-5 Vannett was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers early in his fourth season with the team after posting just 48 catches for 463 yards and four touchdowns in 42 career appearances with the Seahawks.

Since then, Vannett has been the epitome of a journeyman. Vannett signed with the Minnesota Vikings on Monday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the ninth team of his 10-year career.

Vannett, now 32, played in 13 games for the Steelers in 2019. From 2020-25 alone, he's now spent time with seven different teams. In 111 career games with 53 starts, Vannett has totaled 108 catches for 1,012 yards and nine touchdowns.

He most recently played for the Tennessee Titans in 2024, playing in all 17 games and starting 10. The former 2015 CFP National Champion had his most productive season since 2019, finishing with 17 catches for 135 yards and three touchdowns.

Miraculously, despite rivaling the most accomplished of NFL journeymen, Vannett is still finding a way to carve out a role in the league. Per Over The Cap, he's also made more than $12.4 million in career earnings along the way — not bad for a player who has failed to stick with one franchise for more than three full seasons.

The Seahawks parted ways with Fant this offseason as they have a rising new starter in 2024 fourth-round pick AJ Barner. Arroyo will also be a big factor, and the team has depth behind that pair. Seattle hopes its current stable will flourish under Klint Kubiak, who emphasizes the use of multiple tight ends in his scheme.

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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