You can never have too much depth in the NFL, and for that reason, the Seattle Seahawks signing veteran tight end Eric Saubert made sense. The team lost Pharoah Brown in free agency, and had little behind Noah Fant and AJ Barner. Well, the team changed that in the 2025 NFL Draft, thus putting Saubert and the Seahawks in a bit of a pickle.
Saubert is far from a big name, but he's spent eight seasons in the NFL, including the 2024 campaign with Seattle's NFC West rivals, the San Francisco 49ers. Saubert only had 11 receptions for 97 yards on the year, but he still appeared in all 17 games for San Francisco as a depth tight end behind George Kittle and Co. Adding a battle-tested veteran in a depth role like Saubert makes sense, but in hindsight, did the Seahawks really need to do that?
After the team selected Elijah Arroyo in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, it's getting harder to find a role for Saubert to play. With only 53 players allowed to make the team's Week 1 roster, the Seahawks will have to make some tough decisions. Parting with Saubert before he even plays in a game with the team could be one of them.
Seahawks could cut Eric Saubert before he even plays a game with the team
To be clear, this is not a move that the Seahawks will be rushing to make. They signed Saubert anticipating he'd make the team, and cutting him before Week 1 wouldn't be the best look. They'd get to save most of the $1.2 million he's owed by cutting him, but still - they wanted a veteran presence in what's likely going to be the youngest tight end room in the NFL.
It'd be ideal for the Seahawks to carry Saubert on their 53-man roster, but how feasible is that? Noah Fant has been the primary starter at the tight end position ever since the Seahawks acquired him in the trade that sent Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos ahead of the 2022 campaign, and given the fact that he's coming off his best season in Seattle, it's unlikely that'll change this season.
In addition to Fant, the Seahawks used an early Day 2 pick on Arroyo, so there's every reason to believe he'll play a lot even if he doesn't start. I suppose they could choose to cut AJ Barner, but would that be wise to do just one year after taking him in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft? Sure, perhaps the Seahawks could find a way to carry four tight ends on their Week 1 roster and include Saubert, but how realistic is that?
The Seahawks won't want to get rid of their veteran and won't want to be on the hook for some of the money Saubert is owed without seeing him play a single game in Seattle. However, given the depth of their tight end room, his chances of sticking around, barring injury, are not very strong.