Why Seahawks' AJ Barner Can Be the Next George Kittle

AJ Barner is rising up the tight end ranks in the NFL, and he might be able to mimic the play of George Kittle, who is one of the best in the generation.

Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner against the Arizona Cardinals. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner is hoping to continue his ascent in the NFL going into his third season.

Barner went from logging 30 catches for 245 yards and four touchdowns in his rookie year to 52 receptions for 519 yards and six touchdowns this past season, helping the Seahawks win a Super Bowl title. Now that he's going into the 2026 season with a new offensive coordinator, Barner has the chance to exponentially grow.

"He makes big-time catches away from his frame and has plenty of juice to get vertical. As a blocker, he is a featured cog in Seattle's rushing attack," ESPN analyst Ben Solak wrote.

"Barner really is a discount George Kittle, an easy comparison now that Kittle's old tight ends coach, Brian Fleury, is Barner's offensive coordinator. If 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."

AJ Barner Can Emulate George Kittle

Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner against the New England Patriots. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fleury helped Kittle become one of the best tight ends in the NFL. Kittle has made the Pro Bowl in seven of the last eight years and has caught over 1,000 yards in four of those seasons. While he only played in 11 games last season, he caught 57 passes for 628 yards and seven touchdowns.

However, Kittle's profile as a tight end is more than just his catching abilities. The Niners have boasted one of the best rushing attacks in the league, partially due to their blocking scheme, which Kittle is a big part of.

Kittle and Barner have similar frames as 250-pound men who can pave the way for running backs to get long runs. That will still be the goal for the Seahawks going into the season. They want to be a dominant team on the ground, and Barner is a big part of making that happen.

If Barner can also be that big target in the middle of the field that quarterback Sam Darnold can rely on when Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp and Rashid Shaheed are being defended by opposing secondaries, he could be the complete tight end that could help the Seahawks win a second Super Bowl in as many seasons.

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