Tight end Elijah Arroyo was a bit-part player in his rookie season, but is he about to have a bigger role on offense?
Seattle Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo had a rookie season to remember as he is now a Super Bowl champion.
Part of Klint Kubiak's offense, Arroyo was a bit-part player, posting just 15 receptions, 179 yards, and a touchdown from 13 games in the regular season, but didn't register a reception in Seattle's three playoff games.
Now, as he looks ahead to Year 2, he'll have a different voice in his ear after Kubiak became the Las Vegas Raiders head coach.
Brian Fleury, a former tight ends coach with the San Francisco 49ers, is now calling the shots, and we know how devastating George Kittle was for the 49ers both as a blocker and receiving threat.
Could Arroyo develop into something similar under Fleury? Possibly, and he will be behind AJ Barner on the depth chart, maybe even Eric Saubert as well.
But for SB Nation's Alexandre Castro, he thinks that Arroyo is one player who could flourish under the guidance of Fleury.
“If there is one player whose skill set seems tailor-made for Fleury’s background, it’s tight end Elijah Arroyo,” Castro wrote. “Long before becoming Seattle’s offensive coordinator, Fleury built his reputation coaching tight ends.
"Throughout his NFL career, he worked with a wide variety of players at the position, helping maximize both traditional in-line blockers and athletic receiving threats. His combination of speed, burst, and movement skills gives him a profile unlike any other tight end currently on Seattle’s roster.”
Now, having all the traits is good and well, but Elijah has to show them on the field and in the manner Fleury wants.
Will he be able to show enough during training camp to prove he deserves more snaps on offense? Last season, he played 40 percent of offensive snaps and just seven percent on special teams.
So, it is clear under Kubiak that Arroyo had some potential, and now with a coordinator who has skins on the wall developing tight ends, maybe that can be a new wrinkle that the Seahawks offense can have in 2026.
Will Arroyo lead it? Time will tell, but he could be set for a big second-year leap under Fleury.
