​Surprisingly, we may have heard the spiciest comments yet from the two Seattle Seahawks offensive players interviewed on Making a Champion, if you’re inclined to read into the tea leaves. The Seahawks’ journey into gathering perspectives from the builders of the 2025 championship squad continues with starting tight end A.J. Barner. Barner stepped into the role last offseason, replacing Noah Fant after Fant was released as a free agent. He has made his mark in the passing game, in run blocking, as the resident Barn-Yard Tush Push specialist, and as a source of contagious energy.
In a discussion with Jen Mueller and Bryan Walters about the increased physicality of last year’s matchups with the Los Angeles Rams, Barner said: “People like to say, you know, ‘games aren’t different,’ but I like to have a little more when we play division games.” He went on to note the Rams’ talent: “And the Rams got really good players. They’ve got really good edge players, and those edges are competitors, too. I’m one of those people who isn’t going to just fawn over the edges. Some guys would say, ‘man, you should be getting paid more,’ or something like that… but I like to go after it with those guys and let them know I’m here to compete. And those guys are with that, so I have a lot of respect for them.” It’s the kind of strong, confident answer you want from a star tight end, especially with the NFC West rival L.A. Rams adding All-Pro/legendary edge Myles Garrett from the Browns. Barner isn’t the only warrior in this franchise; so is left tackle Charles Cross. It’s going to be tough, but the team believes its players are up for the challenge.
Beyond the Rams, Barner spoke about facing an un-retired, future Hall of Famer in Philip Rivers. He explained: “I think it shows you that, with that knowledge of the game, you can really make a lot of plays. You don’t have to be in peak physical condition or moving light-years ahead of everyone else. If you understand defenses and you know what you’re looking at and what you’re looking for, it can make a huge difference.” Barner added that, as a young player, that perspective is valuable: “When you see a guy who’s been in the league for so long, it’s like, yeah, he just came right off the street five years ago. And it’s like, he knows what he’s looking for. So, I think that goes a long way.”
Fully, the players can tell who is good and why. Rewind one episode of this series with me to read the tea leaves you might think are crazy or to ponder the possibilities. In the most recent episode, Jaxon Smith-Njigba discussed his relationship with Sam Darnold: “I love building that relationship. I tend to be good friends with my quarterbacks, in the past. Sam, obviously, building that rapport with him, just for better SEO.”