Dec 15, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) exits the locker room before pregame warmups against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field. Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

NFL insider expects under-the-radar Seahawks TE to be third receiving option

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Tim Weaver | Last updated Sep 6, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Tomorrow afternoon the mystery that is the Seattle Seahawks' new offense will finally begin to reveal itself. We already know some of the broad strokes of Klint Kubiak's scheme based on what we have seen from similar offenses over the years. However, we know very little about how carries and targets will get divvied up for these players.

The passing game in particular is a question mark. While it's obvious that Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp will be the top two guys for Sam Darnold, nobody knows who's going to be the third option. According to Mike Dugar at The Athletic, it's going to be second-year tight end AJ Barner.

“The Seahawks are transitioning toward being a heavy-personnel team (they drafted a tight end in the second round and a fullback in the fifth). So, the third option will probably be Barner. He’s a complete tight end in that he can block and made plays as a pass catcher, evidenced by his 30 catches and four touchdowns as a rookie in 2024. He’s TE1 now that Noah Fant is gone.”

While Barner is at the top of Seattle's top chart at tight end, that means less than it has in previous seasons. Kubiak's playbook will employ a whole lot of 12 personnel, meaning we will often see two tight ends on the field at the same time.

Barner is also not the most-capable pass-catching option at this position, either. That honor belongs to rookie Elijah Arroyo, whose superior athleticism should make him a more productive playmaker in general and a better target in the red zone in particular.

However, it might take a while for Arroyo to get up to speed and eventually pass Barner on the depth chart. In the meantime, there is a real chance that Barner will see more targets.

We might also see rookie WR3 Tory Horton Jr. be the third option - or perhaps even Jake Bobo once he returns to the lineup from his concussion.

Long story short, nobody really knows for sure at this point. It may take a few weeks before the pecking order for this offense starts to become apparent.

What we do know is that they're going to run the ball a lot - and if lead running back Kenneth Walker III stays healthy his ceiling should be significantly higher than any other skill player on the roster.

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

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