The Seahawks may be circling back to a familiar name at tight end, and the fit says as much about where the offense could be headed as it does about the player himself.
According to NFL insider Aaron Wilson, Seattle brought Nick Vannett in for a visit this week, just one day before veterans were scheduled to report for training camp. Vannett is the same tight end the Seahawks selected out of Ohio State in the third round of the 2016 draft, and while he never quite matched that draft slot, he has stuck around the league for a long time.
That journey has taken him well beyond Seattle. Vannett was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in September of 2019, and since then he has bounced across the NFL, playing for nine teams. He spent more than three seasons with the Seahawks, more than a year with the New Orleans Saints, and a season or less with every other stop.
His most recent work included six games with NFC West rival the Los Angeles Rams in 2025. He even appeared against Seattle in Week 16, though only on special teams.
Production as a receiver has been limited for years now; he has not topped 17 catches in a season since 2018, when he had 29 with Seattle. He did finish 2024 with 17 receptions for the Tennessee Titans, and three of those went for touchdowns.
If Seattle does bring back the 33-year-old, the expectation would not be that he suddenly becomes a volume pass-catcher. The more likely value would come in the run game and on special teams.
There is also a schematic angle here. Vannett’s time with the Rams matters because Los Angeles runs the kind of offense Seattle will be using under new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury. A veteran who already knows the basics of that system, and has shown he can pick up a playbook quickly, could help others get comfortable with Fleury’s approach.
A visit from Vannett also suggests Seattle may be planning to lean on its tight ends more in 2026, assuming Fleury is running the offense. That would point to more opportunities for AJ Barner and Elijah Arroyo in the passing game.
As for a reunion with the player the Seahawks drafted nearly a decade ago, it remains unresolved. And even if Vannett signs, there is no guarantee he will survive final cuts and make the 53-man roster for Week 1.
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