The Seattle Seahawks have several players that are due to take the next step in 2026, but AJ Barner is a particular name to watch in the upcoming season.
According to ESPN’s Ben Solak, Barner is the player for the Seahawks primed to have a breakout season in 2026.
“We somehow made it through the entire Seahawks Super Bowl run without calling Barner what he is: a rising top-10 TE,” Solak said. “There are precious few “complete” tight ends right now — players who legitimately move the needle both as blockers and as receivers. And Barner can be both.”
Barner received the third-most targets in Seattle’s receiving corp last season with 68 and may be due for a rise in looks in 2026. Rashid Shaheed is positioned to have a larger workload next season, but his increased target share likely won’t limit Barner’s opportunities a great deal.
The 24-year-old Barner was a strong scoring threat for Seattle in 2025, having recorded seven total touchdowns from scrimmage on the year, and figures to be a favored target for Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold in scoring situations again in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks TE named by ESPN as breakout candidate for 2026
