Mike Macdonald Challenges Elijah Arroyo in Seahawks Training Camp

Seattle Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo warms up before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mike Macdonald Challenges Elijah Arroyo in Seahawks Training Camp

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Aug 9, 2026 6:00 PM ET

Add us as a preferred source on Google

It's safe to say the Seattle Seahawks did not get everything they had hoped for out of tight end Elijah Arroyo in his first NFL season.

Arroyo was the No. 50 overall pick in the 2025 draft, but his stats did not match the high draft grade. He only had 15 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown, which did not meet many people's expectations. However, going into his second season, there is reason to believe Arroyo is on the verge of a breakout year, especially after catching two touchdowns in the team's fan fest practice.

"When Elijah's been out there, he's been productive for us," Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters after the team's fan fest practice.

"It not a fault of his own that sometimes he's gotten nicked up, but if he can continue this trend of having a routine, attacking the details, making those marginal gains every day, then this is the type of stuff that he's capable of, and he can take it even further. So the challenge is, keep going, let's not be complacent two weeks into camp with what your role is. Let's blow the roof off of the expectations for what you can do, and let's go get it. He's doing all those things, but it's two weeks in, let's keep it rolling."

Why Elijah Arroyo Can Break Out

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Arroyo suffered a knee injury in Week 14 against the Atlanta Falcons last season, which held him to only one appearance for the rest of the season. That came in the NFC Championship against the Los Angeles Rams. His injury towards the end of last season stunted a lot of momentum, but he has picked it back up in the offseason.

The introduction of new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury should definitely help Arroyo grow as a player. Fleury spent the last four seasons as the tight ends coach for the San Francisco 49ers, where he helped George Kittle continue to evolve into one of the best tight ends in the league. The scheme the Niners ran also played to Kittle's strengths, and the hope is that Arroyo will benefit from how Fleury operates the offense in Seattle.

Last season, the Seahawks used 12 personnel looks nearly 30 percent of the time and 22 personnel at 6.8 percent, as well as 13 personnel at 5.42 percent. This means the Seahawks often use multiple tight ends at a time. Those numbers should increase with Fleury running the offense given his expertise with tight ends.

At 6-5, Arroyo can create mismatches against smaller linebackers and safeties in the middle of the field, which would give quarterback Sam Darnold a comfortable safety blanket to use when looking for targets.

Arroyo's strong showing at the fan fest mock game, which is recapped in the video below, is a sign that he is moving in the right direction.