Seahawks Reacts Survey results: A.J. Barner, second in team receptions again?

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In the dog days of the summer, it is fun for NFL fans to predict statistical outputs by players around the league. When it comes to Seattle, there is no question as to who will lead the team in receptions. That is very likely to be the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, Jaxon Smith-Njigba. With this assumption, who did Seahawks fans believe will come in second on the team in receptions in 2026?

In a relatively close poll, tight end, AJ Barner received the most votes with 38%. In a somewhat close second place was Rashid Shaheed with 29%. Others receiving votes were Tory Horton, Cooper Kupp, Elijah Arroyo, and Jake Bobo in that order.

This is a very fascinating question to consider. Barner, mostly known for his blocking coming out of college, has developed into a big target for Sam Darnold. He finished 2025 with 52 receptions (good for second-most on the team last season). Shaheed on the other hand only had 15 receptions after joining the Seahawks halfway through 2025. However, if you add the 44 receptions that Shaheed had in the first half of the season with the New Orleans Saints, he finished the entire season with 59 receptions, which is a career high.

There is a good argument to make for either player. On the one hand, Barner is only entering year three with sky high expectations. He is also a tight end, which is a position that naturally receives more short to intermediate targets. On the other hand, reports coming out of Spring are that Darnold and Shaheed are “hitting it off”, and the Seahawks are planning to “direct more short-to-intermediate stuff to Shaheed” rather than solely using him in a field stretching role. Time will tell who ends up being second on the team in receptions. For now, all we can do is guess.

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