Why the Seahawks' tight ends are the ‘silent engine' of Klint Kubiak's new offense

New York Times

6 days ago

RENTON, Wash. — In the fourth quarter of the Seattle Seahawks' preseason opener, first-year tight end Marshall Lang caught a short pass from quarterback Jalen Milroe, turned upfield and was faced with a couple of options: Behave like a rookie, or heed the words of his veterans.
There's a standard being established among Seattle's tight ends, a group that got lighter when veteran Noah Fant was released a few days before the start of training camp. Fant was the longest-tenured Seahawks tight end and one of two veterans, along with 31-year-old Eric Saubert. As the lone elder statesman in the room, and with multiple years of experience in this new offensive scheme, Saubert has taken on a leadership role in his first season with the team.
Advertisement
On top of being a go-to guy for answers about how to play the position in this scheme, Saubert has tried to create an identity for his unit. Lang's behavior after the catch Thursday night serves as a good example. Face to face with Raiders cornerback Sam Webb near the sideline, Lang opted against running out of bounds and instead dropped his shoulders and plowed forward to collide with the defender and pick up a few extra yards. Lang got up and roared while the Seattle sideline cheered him on.
'He was decisive, and he knew what he was doing. That's been something we've been training into the guys all camp,' said Brady Russell, a tight-end-turned-fullback who essentially plays both spots. 'First day, you might have seen one of the rookies slow down after the catch, but this weekend, you could see everybody catching, bursting, putting their shoulder down, trying to make something happen. Instilling that work ethic and that blue-collar mentality, Eric's done a good job of that.'
🚨 NEW #SeahawksMan2Man pod 🚨
'Physical philosophy'
Live now: Recapping the Seahawks preseason opener, Kubiak's offense, the '25 rookie class — hello, Robbie Ouzts — depth in the secondary and more!
YouTube https://t.co/nzJP20SwVM
Spotify https://t.co/Nf4d3EMGBY
Apple… pic.twitter.com/tIJQSzMi39
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) August 8, 2025
The mentality of the tight end room matters because, as coach Mike Macdonald said Saturday, the group is the 'silent engine' of Seattle's offense.
Seattle's offense is built around the idea of making all the run actions look like their passing concepts and vice versa. The tight ends are critical to making that philosophy a reality on the field. Tight ends are involved in nearly every facet of the game. They have to be tough run blockers, especially in this perimeter-based scheme that puts them at the point of attack against defensive ends.
Advertisement
Tight ends also have responsibilities in pass protection, either as help for the offensive tackles or one-on-one against edge rushers on play-action concepts. Then, of course, tight ends must be tuned in to all the details of the passing game. And not just quick routes at the sticks or checkdowns in the flat off of bootlegs, either. The good tight ends — the ones who make a passing game dynamic — can stress the defense vertically and make life hard on linebackers and safeties in the middle of the field.
'You've got to be really intelligent to play that position and just a physical player,' offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak said during a KIRO-AM radio interview. 'We have some very physical guys, which we're really excited about.'
To avoid telegraphing plays before the snap, all the tight ends must be dangerous. Seattle needs to be able to put AJ Barner and Saubert on opposite ends of the line of scrimmage on early downs and make it difficult for the defense to predict which direction the run might go based on the skill set of each guy (this is something Seattle struggled with during the days of pairing Jimmy Graham, a notoriously below-average blocker, with Luke Willson). The Seahawks must be able to operate out of 12 (two TEs) and 13 personnel (three TEs) and still force the defense to respect the threat of a downfield passing game. And from a technique standpoint, the tight ends must be sound to avoid tipping their hand.
'The tight ends play a huge role because a lot of time we'll be setting on the D-end, so you don't want to have a high (helmet) and looking like you're in pass pro; you want to sell the run play first,' Russell said. 'We have a huge role being that end man off the line. A lot of times, the safety will be reading us.'
In April, Seattle selected Elijah Arroyo with the 50th pick, making him the highest-drafted tight end of the John Schneider era. Saubert, who spent last season with the San Francisco 49ers, signed a $1.4 million free-agent deal in March. Barner, a 2024 fourth-round pick, had a decent rookie year with 30 catches for 245 yards and four touchdowns. The performance of this trio in the offseason contributed to the release of Fant, which also saved $8.9 million in cap space (and cash).
Advertisement
'While we never feel like we're totally covered (at a position), guys did have very strong springs,' Schneider said on KIRO-AM radio of the decision to release Fant.
Barner is currently the No. 1 tight end, and he's looked very promising in practice. Feeling a bit miscast as a blocking tight end coming out of Michigan, Barner continues to show he's a great athlete with soft hands and the ability to make big-time catches, like the one he had against the Minnesota Vikings to give Seattle a fourth-quarter lead in Week 16 last season. When Barner hears the term all-around tight end, he pictures someone who can run routes, block, protect the quarterback and play special teams.
'I think I'm that guy,' he said.
Asked if he has more to prove as a pass catcher, Barner added: 'I just need to get the ball more and make the plays with it, and I think people need to start showing me love and giving me my respect.'
For now, Barner certainly has the respect of his teammates and coaches.
'Every opportunity he's had, he's made the play. A lot of contested plays,' Kubiak said. 'He's doing the dirty work blocking in the run game, (and) that's helping us spring some big runs. I just love his mentality. He's all football. He loves the game, loves to compete. And he's just one of my favorite guys out there because when he gets going, he gets excited, the whole group just starts to light up.'
Arroyo referred to himself and Barner as a 'two-headed monster.' At 6-foot-6 and 254 pounds, the rookie has the potential to be a game changer in a different manner because of his speed. He had only two receptions for 14 yards in the preseason opener, but he's been a tough cover in practice, particularly for the second-string defensive backs. He's a good route runner, but he really flashes his potential when he can open up and run, either on crossing routes or go balls.
Light work for @arroyo_elijah36.
Go Hawks x Powered by @Boeing pic.twitter.com/J8YtVh9K9k
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) July 24, 2025
Arroyo has made multiple highlight plays in camp, including three on Saturday. Over the course of two team periods, Arroyo juked a defensive back to create space on out-breaking route, made a one-handed catch near the sideline for a first down and later kept his feet inbounds on a deep toss from Drew Lock along the sideline.
Advertisement
'He has good feet,' rookie safety Nick Emmanwori said of Arroyo earlier in camp. 'Normally, I like tight ends bigger and slower, I feel like that's an easy cover for me. But with Elijah, he has feet like a big X receiver. You can line him up wherever you want.'
Macdonald's 'silent engine' remark is a perfect description of what the tight ends mean to Seattle's success in 2025. The offensive line is the most important position group. Sam Darnold is the most important individual player. Guys like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Ken Walker III are the most talented and will likely account for most of the touchdowns. But the tight ends are undoubtedly a key cog in the machine, led by a young and hungry Barner, an athletic marvel in Arroyo and a savvy veteran in Saubert.
'We ask a lot of those guys,' Macdonald said. 'And I think they're playing really good football for us.'
(Photo of Elijah Arroyo: Jane Gershovich / Getty Images)
Spot the pattern. Connect the terms
Find the hidden link between sports terms
Play today's puzzle