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Former NFL wide receiver Bryan Walters called Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner an x-factor for the 2026 NFL season.

Tight end AJ Barner is off to a strong start in his NFL career. He eclipsed the 500-yard mark last season despite playing through the campaign with at least two different injuries that required surgery.

But even brighter days are ahead for Barner. That’s what former Seahawks wide receiver Bryan Walters strongly suggested last week while appearing on Seattle Sports Radio.

“I think AJ Barner could be the Seahawks’ X-factor this year,” Walters said on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy last week. “Just everything thrown in front of him, you know that he’s capable of making those plays. He’s going to be asked to do a ton in the run game.

“You know Brian Fleury is going to want to run the ball, but I also think with Brian Fleury’s tight end background, he could probably raise AJ Barner to the next level.”

AJ Barner to be X-Factor for Seahawks Offense in 2026?

It’s not too difficult to see why Walters thinks so highly of Barner.

At 23 years old, he was second on the team in catches and third in receiving yards last season. Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba was also the only Seahawks pass-catcher with more receiving touchdowns.

Barner accomplished that while playing less than 100%. The tight end didn’t miss a game last season. But according to Seahawks.com’s John Boyle, Barner dealt with hip, elbow, shoulder, knee, ankle and calf injuries during 2025.

The tight end underwent two offseason surgeries days after the Super Bowl. Barner, though, expects to be healthy by training camp.

“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 told reporters during the first week of June.

The Seahawks have a couple exciting young receivers on the roster. But it’s possible WR2 Cooper Kupp sees some regression in his stat line due to his age. He turned 33 years old Monday.

That makes what Barner’s potential as an x-factor even more vital.

Predicting Barner’s NFL Ceiling

The bigger question around Barner might not be whether or not he will be an x-factor for the Seahawks. Rather, a better question could be how much of an impact he could make.

Walters seemed to imply the sky is the limit for the tight end.

“You look at what George Kittle was with the 49ers, what he is with the 49ers, how dangerous he can be. Can AJ Barner get to the George Kittle level? Can he become that top three, maybe top-five tight end in the league and be kind of feared by teams that way?” Walters said. “I hope so. But I think the cards are kind of stacking up to prove that, to get that opportunity with Brian Fleury calling the plays.”

Barner certainly has the potential to become the best pass-catching tight end in Seahawks history. Jimmy Graham holds the franchise records at the position with 170 catches and 2,048 receiving yards. Graham’s 18 touchdowns are also first among Seattle tight ends in history.