What is in store for Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner in 2026?
Barner was a reliable option for Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold to look to last season. Barner more than doubled his receiving yards output from the 245 REC yards he recorded as a rookie in 2024, to 519 REC yards in 2025. The Ohio native was vital toward the Seahawks winning the Super Bowl last season.
Next season has the chance to be another successful one for Barner from an individual standpoint, as well as a winning one for Seattle as a team.
Barner also saw a significant increase in the receiving touchdowns department last season. The Michigan product scored six REC TDs in 2025, two more than the four REC TDs he reeled in as a rookie in 2024. Another increase of like value for Barner in 2026 will give him eight on the year, a total that was good for fifth-best in the NFL last season.
Will Barner finish in the top five in receiving touchdowns next season? It certainly is possible.
The Seahawks do have many mouths to feed. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the reigning AP Offensive Player of the Year, will call for the majority of targets in Seattle’s offense next season. Rashid Shaheed figures to see the biggest uptick in targets in 2026, while the Seahawks also have Cooper Kupp in their receiving corp.
However, Barner finished third on the team in targets last season with 68, just two less than the 70 that Kupp received. He figures to be in the same ballpark next season, with a slight uptick north of 70 targets possible for him.
Barner will have the opportunity to accomplish much next season for the Seahawks. His high catch rate and scoring prowess figure to help Seattle’s offense as they vie for another Vince Lombardi Trophy in 2026, and, with the trajectory that he’s on, give him a good shot to rank even higher in the receiving touchdowns department in the league.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: How will Seahawks TE AJ Barner see his usage increase in 2026?
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