The Seattle Seahawks are 1-0, so it's time to start scouting their next opponent.
The Arizona Cardinals shocked the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1 with a 26-14 win in which Mike LaFleur became the franchise's first non-interim head coach to win their first game in charge. The matchup was projected as one of the opening week's most lopsided in favor of Jim Harbaugh and Los Angeles, who were coming off an 11-6 record in 2025. Los Angeles made the playoffs and lost to the eventual AFC champion New England Patriots in the Wild Card round, albeit without either of their starting offensive tackles—Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt—who were both expected to boost the offense upon their return this season. Arizona's defense had other ideas, and became one of the biggest surprises of any unit across Week 1's Sunday slate, while their offense simply looked more talented and outplayed LA with complementary football. That's what the Seahawks will be looking for in Week 2.
The Cardinals defense played with an energy that stifled Justin Herbert and new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, who only held the ball for 51 plays and 22:29. Arizona ran 21 more plays and had the ball for 15:02 more of the game (more than an entire quarter?!) When watching this game, the attitude from Arizona's defense seemed to disregard the stature of its opponent. LaFleur retained defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, who Phoenix-based sports radio host John Gambadoro credits for helping set the temperature.
It's easy to see Rallis' results. The intensity of the defense that showed up on tape is just as evident on paper. His Cardinals defense ranks second to last in blitz rate so far this season, yet they held McDaniel and Herbert to a measly 2-for-8 on third downs and 0-for-3 on fourth downs. Their front seven was far more formidable than the Chargers on the day, producing 17 pressures on 55 snaps while LA could only muster 12 on 75 opportunities. On the flipside, the Cardinals' offensive line has been projected as their downfall this season. The Seahawks have a clear opportunity to establish their presence as a physically dominant team if they kill the Cardinals momentum. This will be the game for elite run blockers like AJ Barner and run stoppers like Uchenna Nwosu to put the new age film community on watch.
Offensive talent is far from the problem in Arizona. Trey McBride is the best tight end in football. They've got two running backs in Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier who can both be a problem for any team. Marvin Harrison Jr. was a matchup nightmare against the Seahawks last season. In Week 3, he had one of the best battles against Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen of any wide receiver all year. When partnered with a seasoned veteran quarterback with a quick release, they were able to make life easy on their OL. Jacoby Brissett looked like at least an average starting QB, completing 27/37 passes for a respectable 73.0% completion rate while taking only 1 sack on 39 dropbacks. Loo

The Seattle Seahawks are gearing up to take on the New England Patriots for a Week 1 rematch of Super Bowl LX from this past February. Seattle will look to begin defending their crown the same way they earned it: by defeating the Patriots.
In the Seahawks' triumphant 29-13 blowout win over New England, one of the key players was tight end AJ Barner. The former Michigan star, who was primarily a blocking tight end during his days with the Wolverines, caught the lone offensive touchdown for Seattle that night. According to Barner, he is feeling confident, both mentally and physically, regarding his health going into the 2026 season.
Barner was asked about his health during a post practice press conference, and he gave an answer that every 12th Man will want to hear.
Barner is a critical cog in the Seahawks' offensive machine, and expect him to have an increased role as he enters his third season. Seattle's big man caught 52 receptions for 519 yards and six touchdowns last season - improving in all categories from his rookie year. With new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury's background in coaching the San Francisco 49ers' tight ends for the last several seasons, you simply must figure that Barner is in line for plenty of targets again this season.
Seattle kicks off on Wednesday night against New England on NBC at 5:20 pm Pacific Time.

#caught

Texas A&M's 2028 recruiting class will take center stage this fall, as five-star quarterback Donald Tabron and four-star Edge Chance Archangel are currently the program's lone commitments heading into the 2026 season, but this is just the start for coach Mike Elko and his staff, who are set to host a growing list of blue-chip prospects in the cycle during all seven of the Aggies' home games.
Among that growing list is five-star defensive lineman Kellan Hall, who recently placed Texas A&M on his Top 12 program list and has released his unofficial visit list for the fall. He will reportedly make his way to College Station on Oct. 3 and will attend Texas A&M vs. Arkansas in Kyle Field, joining several elite 2028 recruits, including five-star safety Casey Barner.
Earlier this summer, Hall spoke to On3/Rivals insider Sam Spiegelman, raving about his first visit to College Station while providing an early preview of his unofficial visit plans with the Aggies and detailing his strong relationship with Texas A&M defensive line coaches Elijah Robinson and Tony Jerod-Eddie.
"I was on campus for a few days, so really got the chance to talk to quite a few players and other recruits. However, the highlight was the camp and working with Coach E. Rob, Coach Tony, and Coach Malik. I really like how they are intentional about giving guys work during practice and every player has a coach working with them. I saw this during camp and at practice the day I arrived."
Under Mike Elko, a record 10 players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, including unanimous All-American Edge Cashius Howell and defensive tackles Albert Regis and Tyler Onyedim, who were off the board in the second and third rounds, further proving that Texas A&M has become one of the top destinations for young defensive linemen and pass rushers.

#star #five

The Seattle Seahawks' passing attack was dominated by superstar wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba last season.
However, that may not need to be as much of the case in 2026.
According to NFL.com's Anthony Holzman-Escareno, Smith-Njigba had the highest percentage of a team's receiving yards in the NFL last season at 44.1 percent.
Smith-Njigba's 1,793 receiving yards last season fueled the Seahawks throughout the year. Seattle won the Super Bowl with JSN as their main offensive weapon, and while he won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award thanks in part to receiving a high amount of targets, the Seahawks have other pass-catchers capable of contributing more next season.
Rashid Shaheed is in line to have a bigger role in the Seahawks' offense next season. With the speedster Shaheed, along with AJ Barner, who has much potential, as well as Cooper Kupp and the reliability that he offers the team in the slot on short and intermediate routes, a more balanced passing attack featuring those ancillary stars, as well as the rest of the team's pass-catchers, will go a long way for Seattle in 2026.

#receiving

It's easy to see why Casey Barner Jr. is among the best safeties in the country. With his physicality and burst, he wins battles on both sides of the ball. In McEachern High School's (Powder Springs, GA) opening game on Wednesday, Aug. 19, the junior showed why he's one of the most electric players in the nation, regardless of class.
He powered the Indians' 40-10 win over Kell (Marietta, GA) and was named MVP of the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic after recording a 58-yard touchdown run and an interception.
Barner's TD run was his first carry of the season, a dash in which he broke through a couple defenders and outpaced the rest to break open the score 13-3 as the first quarter neared its end.
His interception in the third quarter was a beauty, using his closing speed to track down the ball and rip it away from a receiver who didn't look like he expected Barner to be there yet.
He returned the interception to midfield, putting the Indians in position to extend their lead to 27-3.

#barner #ball #quarter #casey

The Washington Commanders were off on Monday, but general manager Adam Peters remained busy. First, Washington made an addition at running back, signing veteran Craig Reynolds. Veteran Jeremy McNichols is currently dealing with a quad injury.
Secondly, Washington made a decision at kicker. Incumbent Jake Moody had been competing with undrafted rookie Drew Stevens, but on Monday, the Commanders released Moody. Stevens now has the kicking job.
Finally, Peters made yet another move, as Washington is expected to sign veteran linebacker Krys Barner, per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
Barnes, 28, entered the NFL in 2020 as an undrafted free agent. He initially signed with the Green Bay Packers and played there for three seasons. In 2023, Barnes signed with the Arizona Cardinals and played for two seasons. He played for the Carolina Panthers last season.
In six NFL seasons, Barnes has appeared in 75 games with 33 starts. He has 303 career tackles, 5.5 sacks and one interception.

#barnes #played #Monday

Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback Sam Darnold and No. 1 wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba arguably were the best QB-WR pairing in the NFL last season. It's partially why the Seahawks won Super Bowl 60. Their connection was once again fully on display at Wednesday's 10th training camp practice.
Smith-Njigba posted a league-leading 1,793 receiving yards last season. JSN was rewarded for his individual accolades by being named Offensive Player of the Year. Smith-Njigba has picked up right where he left off this offseason.
Smith-Njigba was downright dominant at Wednesday's practice, per ESPN reporter Brady Henderson, who was in attendance. "It was great to see him come alive," head coach Mike Macdonald said after practice. "Some of those in high-leverage situations, too. … There's defensive attention on where he's at at all times, too, so for him to be able to make those plays, it's great for the Seahawks, great for him."
Darnold has so many pass-catching weapons at his disposal. Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed, and AJ Barner are proven threats. Sophomores Elijah Arroyo and Tory Horton are expected to take developmental steps forward. The running game has been revamped with the additions of Emanuel Wilson and Jadarian Price, and possibly a bigger role for George Holani.
Wednesday's practice was a reminder that the offense should still run through Smith-Njigba, though.

#darnold

Do the Seattle Seahawks have a secret weapon in their offense? For those faithful watchers of Seattle football it may not be much of a secret, but the rest of the country may not be aware of what tight end AJ Barner represents. To ESPN ****** yst Benjamin Solak, Barner could very well be on his way to being one of the very best at his position in the entire NFL. Solak even went as far as to directly compare him to one of the standard bearers of tight ends: the San Francisco 49ers' own George Kittle.
Normally, calling someone or something a "discount" when compared to something else, it's often used as a negative. However in this context, I think the 12th Man is fine with the definition. I know general manager John Schneider certainly is, since Barner's on the third year of his rookie deal which will pay him just north of $1 million dollars. Compared to Kittle who will count for more than $14 million against San Francisco's cap? Yeah, discount is a positive here.
Financials aside, the comparison between Barner and Kittle is an interesting one. Both are of a similar build, with Barner being two inches taller. Both are physical players who aren't afraid to throw down some blocks in the run game, as Barner was actually drafted as a blocking tight end. Actually, at the time he was drafted, we at Seahawks Wire reported there were those who believed he had untapped potential as a receiving threat. Boy, did those takes age well!
Barner may not have yardage totals that blow anyone away (245 and 519 in each of his first two years, respectively) but his impact is found in the end zone. Through his two years in the league, Barner has scored 10 touchdowns in the regular season, and even had the only offensive one in the Super Bowl LX victory over the New England Patriots.
Barner's increase in production from years one to two, as well as becoming a clear security blanket for quarterback Sam Darnold, bode well for his ascension in this league. I would not be surprised at all if I see more No. 88 jerseys around Lumen Field next season.

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 ***** le.
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.
"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..."

The Seattle Seahawks’ pass-catching unit is in good shape heading into the 2026 NFL season, with stars at wide receiver and tight end that are positioned to make a great impact in the offense.
According to Sharp Football ***** ysis in their ranking of all 32 NFL teams’ wide receiver and tight end units, the Seahawks’ group ranked No. 7 overall.
“Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the reigning Offensive Player of the Year after leading the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards,” the Sharp Football Staff said. “Cooper Kupp has found a late-career role as a solid No. 2 receiver, and the hope is Rashid Shaheed can be the deep threat he was in New Orleans prior to getting traded to the Seahawks midseason last year.”
Not only do the Seahawks have a strong unit at the wide receiver position with three championship-level contributors in their respective roles, but they also have a quality tight end in AJ Barner who is poised to take the next step in 2026 as a strong scoring option.
Seattle is primed to have another successful season in the receiving department in 2026, akin to last season, where they finished No. 9 in the NFL in passing yards with 4,063.

Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Fleury approaches the 2026 NFL season with high expectations among the new OCs and defensive coordinators that were hired this offseason.
According to ESPN’s Ben Solak, a major question surrounding Fleury will be how he will rely on other offensive weapons to add to the Seahawks’ offense besides Jaxon Smith-Njigba next season.
“Fleury was not in Seattle last season and has never crossed paths with Macdonald, so I'm confident he'll come with enough new ideas to keep the Seahawks' offense on the cutting edge,” Solak said. “Whatever that edge is, it's close to Fleury's vest ... for now.”
Fleury has big shoes to fill following the departure of former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak this offseason. Kubiak orchestrated the Seahawks’ Super Bowl-winning offense last season and enabled Smith-Njigba to win the AP Offensive Player of the Year award at season’s end.
Despite JSN’s excellence, the Seahawks leaned heavily on him in the offense. Next season will present Fleury with the opportunity to increase Rashid Shaheed, AJ Barner and Cooper Kupp’s target shares in the passing game, while also ensuring that rookie Jadarian Price is put in the best position to succeed in the ground game.

The 2025 season was an incredible one for Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. JSN led the NFL in receiving yards (1,793) while finishing fourth in receptions (119). The Seahawks won Super Bowl 60 and Smith-Njigba won Offensive Player of the Year honors.
The Seahawks then signed Smith-Njigba to a four-year, $168.6 million extension earlier this offseason that made him the highest-paid receiver of all time. Now, JSN is prepping for another massive campaign for the Seahawks in 2026. Just how many receiving yards will he have this season?
The Seahawks underwent massive offseason changes on offense. Brian Fleury is the new offensive coordinator after Klint Kubiak became head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Super Bowl 60 MVP Kenneth Walker III is gone and will be replaced by first-round pick Jadarian Price.
Changes at coordinator and in the backfield will impact the Seahawks' offense. Also, the Seahawks brought back Rashid Shaheed at receiver, who is expected to be heavily involved after displaying chemistry with quarterback Sam Darnold at OTAs and minicamp.
There's no reason why Smith-Njiga can't produce another 1,500-yard (or more) season. He'll be Darnold's go-to receiver, but Coach Fleury may spread the ball around to AJ Barner and Shaheed while also getting multiple running backs involved.

The calendar has flipped to June which means it’s time for our ‘Flip The Script’ summer series. Justin Boone and Fantasy Life's Dwain McFarland conclude the series by trying to identify who will be ‘This year’s Tucker Kraft’ and find the TE currently going outside the top 10 in drafts that can finish as top 5 TE in fantasy in 2026.
(3:00) - The rise of TE premium in fantasy and importance of landing a sleeper TE in drafts
(16:00) - Lessons we can learn from Tucker Kraft's 2025 season and apply for drafting TEs in 2026
(23:30) - Candidates: Dalton Kincaid, Isaiah Likely, Chig Okonkwo, Kenyon Sadiq, Dallas Goedert, Mark Andrews
(46:45) - Candidates: Rams and Chargers TEs, Gunner Helm, AJ Barner, Brenton Strange

The Seattle Seahawks recently concluded mandatory minicamp. They'll break for summer before reporting back for training camp on July 25th. General manager John Schneider could consider improving the depth at multiple positions before camp begins. We've identified three in particular that would benefit from an upgrade.
Do the Seahawks need better offensive tackle depth behind starters Charles Cross and Abe Lucas? Swing backup Josh Jones is currently getting past an offseason injury he provided an update on. The Seahawks trust Jones, but you can never have enough offensive tackle depth. Free agent options include Cornelius Lucas, Jack Conklin, and Jonah Williams.
Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe are the starting boundary cornerbacks after letting Riq Woolen walk in free agency. Former late-round rookie Nehemiah Pritchett is being asked to play an upgraded role compared to the past. Will rookies Julian Neal and Andre Fuller add anything to this room? A veteran addition wouldn't hurt.
The Seahawks undeniably feel good about having Elijah Arroyo and AJ Barner at tight end. But with the expanded usage of 12 and 13 personnel (multi TE sets) around the league, do the Seahawks have TEs they trust to play snaps? What if Arroyo and/or Barner suffer an injury? Eric Saubert and Harrison Bryant are among the in-house options for TE3 right now.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: 3 positions Seahawks could improve after minicamp

Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner is one of several players that have the potential to make a jump next season to the benefit of fantasy football owners.
Barner had a strong year in 2025. The Michigan product more than doubled his receiving yards output from the 245 he recorded as a rookie in 2024, with 519 REC yards in 2025. He also recorded six REC touchdowns, along with a rushing TD on the year. Barner earned 147.3 fantasy points in PPR leagues.
According to ESPN Fantasy Football, Barner is projected to experience a downturn in production next season, with 432 REC yards and four REC TDs on his way to 113.7 fantasy points in PPR leagues.
The Seahawks’ passing attack will run through Jaxon Smith-Njigba again next season, with Rashid Shaheed in line to see a potential increase in targets. However, Barner came only three targets shy of being the second-most targeted receiver in Seattle’s offense last season.
It will be up to the Ohio native to earn more looks next season based off of the work that he puts in this offseason. An increased workload will make Barner a candidate to greatly exceed his projections in PPR leagues next season, especially given his ability to score touchdowns.