Seahawks 24-year-old TE called 'discount George Kittle' by ESPN amid breakout prediction
Seahawks 24-year-old TE called ‘discount George Kittle’ by ESPN amid breakout prediction originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Seattle Seahawks won Super Bowl 60, beating the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, and New England Patriots en route to the NFL title.
While the focus was on the defense for much of the year and in the Super Bowl, and Kenneth Walker III, Sam Darnold, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba earned their flowers, there was another key player who deserves some praise.
This player received some significant praise from ESPN’s Ben Solak, who said this Seahawks 24-year-old right end is a “discount George Kittle” and is the team’s breakout candidate this year. That player? 2024 draft pick AJ Barner.
Seahawks’ AJ Barner named breakout candidate amid ‘discount George Kittle’ comp
“We somehow made it through the entire Seahawks Super Bowl run without calling Barner what he is: a rising top-10 TE,” Solak writes. “… Barner really is a discount George Kittle…”
Kittle is one of the best tight ends in the NFL, and while he’s on the division rival 49ers, Seahawks fans should love to hear that Barner is a discount version of Kittle.
While he might not be as good as the All-Pro 49ers tight end right now, Barner is a fantastic tight end that Solak believes could break out in 2026.
“If (Brian) Fleury runs the passing game a little more through Barner this season, he’ll start to get his name mentioned in the upper tier of tight ends … where it belongs,” Solak writes.
Barner, the 24-year-old tight end drafted in the fourth-round at pick No. 121 during the 2024 NFL Draft, had a very productive 2025 season for the Super Bowl champion Seahawks.
MORE: Seattle Seahawks trail only Rams and Eagles in ESPN’s 2026 roster rankings
He caught 52 passes for 519 yards and six touchdowns, while running the ball 10 times for 14 yards and a touchdown with nine first downs as the Seahawks “tush-push” specialist.
In the playoffs, he caught six of seven targets for 67 yards and one touchdown, including four catches for 54 yards and a TD in the Super Bowl.
But, Barner isn’t just a solid receiving option; he’s also great in the run game. Having a good tight end who can both catch passes and block well is a huge asset, and Barner does just that for Seattle.
Solak named Barner Seattle’s breakout candidate for 2026 while calling him a “discount George Kittle.” That’s a good comparison for Barner, and one that should get Seahawks fans hopeful for what the 24-year-old can do in 2026 in his third NFL season.
More NFL news:
- Broncos’ signing of J.K. Dobbins receives criticism from ESPN analyst
- How 49ers’ problem with Brandon Aiyuk might’ve been solved without a trade or release
- Falcons RB Bijan Robinson ranks higher than Lions’ Jaymir Gibbs in ESPN RB rankings
- Raiders trade pitch sends Maxx Crosby to Cowboys for George Pickens
- Commanders sign former Eagles Super Bowl champion CB Rasul Douglas to free agent deal
