Who Should I Start? Elijah Arroyo or Justin Joly

Friday, July 10, 5:19 PM

Although Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner is expected to lead all of the team's TEs again in 2026, second-year TE Elijah Arroyo is "poised for a much larger sophomore season," according to Justin Melo of Seahawks Wire. The Seahawks took Arroyo with the 50th overall pick in the second round last year out of the University of Miami. The 23-year-old was limited to just 13 regular-season games (four starts) due to injuries in 2025, but he still produced 15 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown on 26 targets as depth at the position. Seattle ran two tight-end sets on almost 30% of their offensive plays last year, but that was also with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak running the show. Kubiak is now the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Still, Barner and Arroyo should be on the field together a fair amount, opening the door for Arroyo to be more involved in his second season in the NFL as the Seahawks look to defend their title. Ultimately, whether Arroyo can stay healthy could determine whether he'll have a Year 2 breakout in Seattle. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 37 fantasy TE this year.