Seahawks TE Has 2 Undisclosed Offseason Surgeries
Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner caught his first postseason touchdown in a 29-13 win over the New England Patriots in February’s Super Bowl before immediately taking care of his lingering injuries from the 2025 campaign.
Per the Seahawks, Barner has not been on the field during OTAs this spring as he recovers from two surgeries he had early in the offseason. The 2024 fourth-round pick dealt with hip, elbow, shoulder, knee, ankle and calf injuries. He still managed to start in all of Seattle’s regular season and postseason contests while battling the injuries.
Barner didn’t disclose what surgeries he had this offseason, noting he’s been dealing with several of the above issues since he came into the league. He feels better now and hopes to return to practice when training camp starts in July.
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“Y’all saw what it was during the season,” Barner said, via the Seahawks. “It’s stuff that I’ve been dealing with, honestly for my whole pro career. I’m somebody that, no matter how I’m feeling, I’m going to play, just like a lot of other guys in our locker room.
“So I’m definitely feeling better, it’s definitely still a process to get back out there, but by the time training camp rolls around, I’m going to be ready to go.”
Barner recorded 52 receptions for 519 yards and six touchdowns last season. He added another 14 yards and one touchdown on the ground. Barner hopes to have an even better season when he’s fully healthy this fall.
“Definitely better, way better,” Barner said. “I expect myself to be one of the best tight ends in the league, and I think I’ve played up to that standard, not consistently maybe throughout the whole season, but definitely have done that.
“I hold myself to a high standard, and the goal is to win championships and play in big games, and also bring that same mindset to training camp when I’m back out there with the guys. That’s how I’m feeling. I think I can take it to another level, and I think it’s going to make my job hopefully easier and my process leading up to gameday that much easier.”
Barner was the third-leading receiver on the Seahawks behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp. He built strong chemistry with quarterback Sam Darnold last season, and could be set up for a much better season during their second year working together.
It remains to be seen if the two undisclosed surgeries Barner had this offseason will permanently fix the issues he dealt with during his first two seasons in the league, or if those will be concerns for the young tight end again this year.
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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 8:38 PM.