Seahawks TE AJ Barner says offseason surgeries are behind him enough to target training camp

Seattle’s tight end AJ Barner entered the offseason with a familiar routine. After celebrating the Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX win with a downtown parade, he soon transitioned from the field to the operating room, undergoing two surgeries a week after the victory. In his latest update from Seahawks headquarters, Barner said he is still in rehab mode during the team’s offseason program, but expects to be ready for training camp this summer.

Barner, who did not miss a game in 2025, described his recovery as progressing on a normal timeline rather than as a setback. He said he is “feeling good” and acknowledged that he is working through what Seattle coach Mike Macdonald previously described in deliberately broad terms, meaning the organization has not publicly specified which injuries required the surgeries.

The lack of medical specifics leaves fans to connect the dots from last season’s injury reports. Beginning in Week 10, Barner appeared on Seattle’s weekly listings for seven of the next 10 weeks, with designations that at different points included hip, elbow, shoulder, knee, ankle and calf issues. Despite the constant management, Barner remained available, starting all 20 games, including the postseason, and playing in the most meaningful moments of the Seahawks’ run.

What Barner emphasized, however, was that the bigger impact came on preparation rather than game-day production. He said injuries limited his ability to practice, which can affect timing, workload, and how sharp a player feels when the season clock starts. The tight end indicated he is now chasing steadier reps, adding that he expects to see “strides” as his recovery allows him to get back out there more fully.

On the field last season, Barner’s role expanded quickly into something closer to a centerpiece. In 2025, he finished the regular season with 52 receptions for 519 yards and six touchdowns. In the Super Bowl, he added four catches for 54 yards and scored Seattle’s first touchdown, a 16-yard reception in the fourth quarter that helped swing momentum as the game opened up.

Seahawks fans have reason to see camp as more than a routine milestone, because a healthy Barner could determine how Seattle maintains its offensive rhythm after a championship run. Tight ends often carry the dual burden of route versatility and blocking responsibility, and Barner’s two-surgery offseason underscores how much the team leaned on him while managing his body through late-season wear and tear.

The immediate question for Seattle is simple: will Barner be able to participate with the intensity the coaching staff expects once training camp begins. For now, he is targeting that return, while acknowledging the process is ongoing. If he arrives in camp fully functional, the Seahawks’ emphasis on building continuity around a young star at tight end could be one of the defining storylines of the early part of the 2026 season.