Beat: Barner, Arroyo to see ‘uptick in production’

Barner also had a tush push attempt that was called back by a penalty. With Jaxon Smith-Njigba soaking up 11 targets on just 24 team pass attempts, there wasn’t much volume to go around for the rest of the Seattle pass-catchers. Barner only topped four catches in 20 combined regular and postseason appearances last year. If Week 1 is any indication, he won’t be putting up big box scores very often this season either. He will barely crack the TE2 ranks when Seattle takes on Arizona next week.

The Seahawks’ starting tight end is firmly on track to play in the 2026 season opener on Wednesday night. Barner is reportedly set to handle a bigger role than he did last year, when he finished as the PPR TE14. He can only be viewed as a borderline TE1/2 early on, though.

Arroyo played three drives this evening, scoring from 36 yards out on the first one. Arroyo lined up in line on the left side, ran a route up the seam, shaking a safety along the way and easily hauled in the uncontested pass from tonight’s starting QB Drew Lock. Scoring against the Titans’ first-string defense is a plus, but playing while the rest of the Seahawks starters sat was not a great sign. Arroyo seems to be firmly behind TE AJ Barner on the depth chart right now.

Fowlers said the team expects Barner to be more involved as a pass catcher in 2026 after recording 52 receptions for 519 yards and six touchdowns last season (while being targeted on 19 percent of his routes). Barner, following multiple offseason surgeries to clean up nagging injuries, is fully healthy and ready for a more prominent role in Seattle’s offense. New Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Fleury, meanwhile, is expected to use plenty of two tight end sets in 2026, meaning TE Elijah Arroyo could see an increase in snaps and routes. Barner has a little bit of extra hidden upside as the Seahawks’ primary tush push option near the goal line.

That apparently includes in both pad-less and padded practices. Henderson does add the same was true last summer before the then No. 50 overall pick went on to have a quiet rookie year. Arroyo dealt with knee issues after they were a red flag during his pre-draft process. Drafted in part to be an after-the-catch weapon, Arroyo could be left fighting for designed touches to begin the season. He is comfortably behind AJ Barner on both the depth chart and in average draft position. We’ll let you know if he keeps lighting up camp.

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald revealed on Wednesday that Arroyo was working through something, but was expected to be ready for training camp. Getting back early, even in a limited capacity, is good to see. Arroyo’s past few years, both in college and in his NFL rookie season, have been slowed by knee issues. Fellow backup TE Eric Saubert resumed practicing as well. Hopefully, both players are practicing fully before long.

Apparently, Arroyo and fellow TE Eric Saubert are not practicing this week. Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said that “they’re just working through some stuff, but it’s positive for training camp.” Saubert is not expected to be fantasy-relevant, but this is a tad concerning for Arroyo, who entered the NFL as a 2025 rookie with injury-related concerns. Continued knee issues landed Arroyo on injured reserve last season. We hope to see him take the field at, or before, training camp next month.

Barner was listed with calf, elbow and hip injuries last season. We don’t know which ailments required surgery. Barner said he is “definitely feeling better,” but he still has a few hurdles to clear before he can back out there. Barner finished as the PPR TE14 last season, operating as a big-bodied target for QB Sam Darnold and as the Seahawks’ tush push specialist in short-yardage situations.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts fumbled on a tush push attempt in Philadelphia’s 24-15, Week 13 loss to the Bears. He told reporters after the game that it is “becoming tougher and tougher” to run the play. Teams are having more success against it, defensively, than they did previously, while others have begun successfully running it themselves. Several teams turned to using it with tight ends, most notably Seahawks TE AJ Barner moonlighted as a tush push quarterback this season. Barner picked up one touchdown and nine first downs on 11 rushing attempts across the full NFL season. Connor Heyward (Steelers) and Cade Stover (Texans) also ran the play a non-trivial amount of times in 2025. It is still possible for teams to submit a ban proposal, but at this point, McKay does not “envision it” happening this offseason.

Arroyo was not targeted as he made his postseason debut after battling a knee injury. The No. 50 overall pick of the draft, Arroyo ended up languishing behind second-year fourth-rounder AJ Barner. Arroyo caught more than two passes one time all year, and was a non-factor for the season’s stretch run. Arroyo is young (23 in April) at a complex position, but so is Barner. Arroyo’s draft pedigree means he should maintain some long-term benefit of the doubt in dynasty leagues, but 2026 seems unlikely to be the year he breaks out in fantasy football.