AJ Barner is growing into a unique weapon for the Seattle Seahawks' offense

Seattle tight end AJ Barner caught a TD pass from Sam Darnold to give the Seahawks an early lead over the Arizona Cardinals.

Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Cardinals Thursday night. | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The Seattle Seahawks' offensive identity keeps developing right before our eyes. And the results from coordinator Klint Kubiak continue to be positive.

After a failed 4th-and-1 at midfield on their first possession, the Seahawks continued to line up with two tight ends and smash the Arizona Cardinals in the teeth at State Farm Stadium. Seattle used their "12" formation on its first 13 offensive snaps and took a 7-3 lead when one of those tight ends - AJ Barner - caught a perfect 16-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Sam Darnold.

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After last week's blowout win over the New Orleans Saints, Barner claimed the Seahawks "can be one of the best teams in the league." With him developing into a major weapon, Seattle's offense keeps showing glimpses of being able to keep up with its elite defense.

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A fourth-round draft pick from Indiana in 2024, the 6-foot-6, 250-pound Barner is a unique asset in the Red Zone. On his touchdown he easily beat man-to-man coverage from Cardinals' linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither and hauled in Darnold's pass for his second score in the last three games.

His size and athleticism are also coming in handy in the short-yardage running game. In Seattle's version of the "Tush Push," Barner has gone under center and converted 3 of 3 snaps for first downs (one was nullified by a defensive penalty.)

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Despite that success, the Seahawks on 4th-and-1 instead handed off to running back Zach Charbonnet, who was stuffed for no gain at midfield.

But it feels like Kubiak realizes Barner is a major asset. And the Seahawks are just scratching the surface on how to use him.

Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Cardinals. | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

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