Barner has been dealing with injuries and needed offseason surgery, but the tight end is now back in the fold.
Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner has had an indifferent offseason as multiple surgeries were required to fix lingering issues that plagued him in 2025.
With Barner being a slow burn this offseason after playing a key role in the Seattle offense last year under Klint Kubiak, many were excited for his return this offseason.
And that return came at Lumen Field as the Seahawks held a practice in front of fans, something they do every offseason.
With the Seahawks being put through their paces on the Lumen Field turf, Barner was also on the grass getting much-needed work in.
And in what is a full-circle moment as Barner was injured at this exact stage last season, head coach Mike Macdonald detailed how good it was to see his tight end finally back on the field.
"Yeah, it was incredible,” Macdonald said. “Incredibly happy for him, he's worked incredibly hard. He's been a great teammate the whole process. At this time last year, he was really battling for a great role. So, he's put himself right back in the thick of things and broke the team down at the end, which I thought was really cool.
"But I don't know, it's one of those things, how do you handle it as a coach? Do you bring it up? Do you not? We're all kind of thinking about him going to this. So, that was really cool.”
With Barner now back in the fold, he is set to have a big say in how the Seahawks' offense rolls under new coordinator Brian Fleury.
Coming off a good second season as he posted 519 yards and 6 TDs in the regular season, along with 67 yards and a touchdown in the playoffs, many are excited to see his development under Fleury in a system that sees the tight ends get very involved.
Of course, Barner won't be rushed back into the swing of things, more so eased in, as he hasn't had a full offseason and the Seahawks won't want him to breakdown.
But he is back on the grass and progressing in the right way, and getting past that Lumen Field practice could be good mentally for the tight end as he is now injury-free and ready to attack Year 3 in Seattle.
