Last season, the Seattle Seahawks tried to get some production from the tight end group. They targeted their tight ends, Noah Fant and A.J. Barner, 114 times, which ranked 16th in the league.
Unfortunately, the production didn’t follow. Fant caught 48 of his 64 targets. Barner didn’t have the same volume of stats, but he was far more efficient, as he caught 30 of his 38 targets and scored four touchdowns to Fant’s one.
Fant’s inefficiencies and the addition of second-round pick Elijah Arroyo led to his subtraction. With Sam Darnold taking over at quarterback without the same type of wealth at wide receiver, the tight end position will no doubt be a key to getting the most out of the passing game in 2025.
Last year, Darnold targeted his tight ends 117 times, just one spot higher than Seattle. But, he doesn’t have Justin Jefferson to eat up most of the targets. While Jaxon Smith-Njigba will get his fair share, there will be more opportunities for Barner and Arroyo.
AJ Barner and Elijah Arroyo set to earn heaps of targets in the Seattle Seahawks offense
Of course, they’re earning those targets. According to reports from The Athletic, Arroyo and Barner are both making plays with Sam Darnold finding the mismatches in coverage. Michael-Shawn Dugar's reports detailed how both tight ends and Darnold were exploiting the Seattle linebackers in coverage, showcasing the talent the Seahawks hold at a critical position in offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s offense.
Last season with the New Orleans Saints, Kubiak had his tight ends targeted 144 times, which ranked 8th in the NFL. Juwan Johnson had 66 targets, Foster Moreau had 43, and Taysom Hill had 31. Seattle doesn’t have a Taysom Hill type to eat up touches, so Seattle might have fewer targets overall with the young tight end duo in 2025.
But even a 60-40 or a 50-50 split between Barner and Arroyo is feasible.
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That sets Barner and Arroyo up for fairly prominent roles in the offense, which should serve the offense well, given their talent. It certainly helps that the duo get the job done in different ways, Barner more of a traditional in-line tight end, Arroyo a vertical threat who can work in the slot or out wide.
Still, with Fant out of the picture, Seattle effectively gained two prominent target options in the offense, which opens up more opportunities for Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, and one of those late-round rookies looking to make their mark with the team.