The Seattle Seahawksrecently placed sophomore tight end Elijah Arroyo on IR. Arroyo injured his shoulder during Seattle's 17-14 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos. He exited the game and did not return. The Seahawks will need more from AJ Barner moving forward.
Head coach Mike Macdonald indicated Arroyo will be sidelined for quite some time. That likely indicates he'll miss more than four minimum games being placed on IR requires you to miss. Offensive coordinator Brian Fleury needs to get Barner involved on offense.
In a corresponding move, the Seahawks added veteran TE Josiah Deguara to their practice squad. But make no mistake, it'll be Barner who needs to produce. This struggling Seahawks offense hasn't gotten enough production from its tight ends. Arroyo only had two receptions for 17 yards before the injury.
Barner has only produced 15 receptions for 138 yards and zero touchdowns in six games this season. That's off the pace he enjoyed under Klint Kubiak last year, when he accumulated 52 catches for 519 yards and a career-high six touchdowns.
Perhaps getting Barner involved would help struggling quarterback Sam Darnold. A reliable tight end is best targeted underneath the coverage. The Seahawks need Barner now more than ever.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks need TE AJ Barner to be great after Elijah Arroyo injury