The Seattle team has become very effective in this situation, thanks to its tight end
RENTON, Wash. — One of the most unstoppable plays by the Super Bowl-bound Seattle Seahawks has its roots in one of the most disappointing moments of their 2024 season.
It happened in overtime of their Week 9 home loss against the NFC West rival Los Angeles Rams.
On the first possession of overtime, Seattle was looking for a touchdown to give them the victory. The Seahawks needed less than a yard from the Rams’ 16 to get the first down, but Kenneth Walker III he was stopped on third and one yard and again on fourth and one yard. The defense’s penetration thwarted both plays, even when then-offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb used a stacked formation on second down. After the loss of the ball for not getting the first down, the Rams quarterback, Matthew Staffordfinished the game with a four-play offensive series that ended in a touchdown.
“We have to be able to get a half-yard on two downs,” coach Mike Macdonald emphasized after that loss. “Great football teams convert third and fourth downs with few yards left, and we’re not doing that right now.”
The Seahawks finished their first season under Macdonald with a 10-7 record, but without qualifying for the playoffs, after losing the tiebreaker against Los Angeles for the division title.
Fast forward to Week 16 of this season, when the Seahawks hosted the Rams with the division’s top seed and control of the NFC’s No. 1 seed on the line. This time, Kubiak Clint He was the one who directed the plays.
And this time, when the Seahawks faced a third-and-one in the third quarter, Seattle’s offensive coordinator turned to his new weapon for short-yardage plays: the tush push. Or as fans have nicknamed it, the “Barnyard.”
The tight end AJ Barner received the direct snap and, with the help of the runner’s pushes Zach Charbonnet and the fullback Robbie Ouztsgot the first down. Walker scored a 55-yard touchdown on the next play, giving the Seahawks a 14-13 lead before they eventually won 38-37 in overtime.
AJ Barner has been one of the least recognized factors in Seattle’s offensive success, scoring seven touchdowns in his second season. One of those touchdowns came thanks to the “Barnyard,” which has produced 13 additional first downs with just one failed attempt. The play that Barner has helped execute to near perfection has turned short-yardage situations, which were a problem for the Seahawks in 2024, into one of their strengths in 2025.
He could be a deciding factor in Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots.
“It’s been great,” Macdonald acknowledged of the push play in short-yardage situations heading into the playoffs. “We just have to stay focused and keep doing what we’re doing. I’m sure we can add some twists. It’s an important part of our playbook in short-yardage situations.”
The Philadelphia Eagles began using the tush push play in 2022, adding their own variations to a traditional short quarterback drive play. Most notable: Placing two players behind the quarterback Jalen Hurts to help him cross the goal line. It has become the signature play in short-yardage situations for the reigning Super Bowl champions.
But opposition to the move from other teams, reportedly over concerns about player safety, gained enough strength during the offseason that a proposed ban came up for a vote in May. Most NFC teams were in favor of the ban, but two votes were short of the 24 needed for approval. The Seahawks were not among the 10 teams that voted to keep the play, even though Macdonald and general manager John Schneider had publicly expressed support for the play.
“I think it’s a good play and we have to defend it,” Macdonald argued early this offseason, “and maybe we’ll run it one day.”
With the play allowed, and with one of their NFC rivals planning to use it to their advantage, the Seahawks decided to do the same.
Seattle struggled in short-down situations last season, with a 58.8% conversion rate (20 of 34) on third and fourth downs with one yard left, ranking them the fifth-worst team in the NFL, according to ESPN Research. So after Macdonald hired Kubiak to replace Grubb, he asked his new coordinator to implement the push play, but with Barner as the running back and not the quarterback. Sam Darnold.
Why Barner?
“It’s big,” Macdonald replied.
At 6’3″, 220 pounds, Darnold doesn’t have the same stocky build as the Bills quarterback, Josh Allen (1.96 meters and 108 kilograms), whom Buffalo regularly uses in push plays. Hurts (1.85 meters and 101 kilograms) has the build of a runner and can squat 272 kilograms.
During his time as Ravens defensive coordinator, Macdonald saw Baltimore occasionally use tight end Mark Andrews1.96 meters and 113 kilograms, in similar plays. Macdonald thought Barner, who is 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds, could execute Seattle’s version. “I’m not asking for much,” said Macdonald, who coaches Seattle’s defense, “but this was something I asked of our offense.”
The Seahawks kept the play a secret throughout the preseason. The first time they ran it outside of closed-door workouts was with rookie quarterback Jalen Milroe in the preseason. But they had been planning to use Barner in that role for some time. Their 2024 fourth-round pick had played quarterback during his first two years at Aurora High School near Cleveland, so he was no stranger to catching the ball.
“This is a decision we made in the spring, and it is a credit to everyone involved,” Macdonald said. “It involves handling the ball, and the ball is really important, so you have to make sure you take care of it, first and foremost. They’ve practiced a lot in the preseason and he’s willing to put in the effort, which is a big credit to him.”
Between the regular season and the playoffs, the Seahawks have converted 10 of 11 tush push attempts, all on third or fourth downs with one yard to go. Barner, drawing on his experience as a quarterback, has been effective enough with fakes to cause the defense to get ahead four times.
In addition to the touchdown Barner scored on that play, the other 13 first downs he generated extended 11 drives, including four that resulted in touchdowns.
Darnold has gotten to the back of every tush push and stayed there, safe from blows. One of the reasons for keeping him on the field is that, while a potential blocker/pusher is sacrificed, it does not give away that the ‘tush push’ is going to be performed. It gives Seattle a chance to switch to a play with Darnold at quarterback.
“AJ is a leader in our offense,” Kubiak applauded. “He’s a player we can all rely on. If it’s not the quarterback handling the ball, then AJ has done great. He’s a strong player. This is something that started in April and we’ve practiced a lot.”
Before the 2024 draft, Barner was considered more of a blocker than a receiver, having only caught 22 passes during his final college season, in which he helped Michigan win a national championship. However, he has developed into a complete tight end in his two NFL seasons.
As a rookie, he produced more in the passing game than many expected, finishing with 30 receptions for 245 yards and four touchdowns. The potential he showed influenced Seattle’s decision to release the veteran Noah Fant last summer in a cost-cutting move, elevating Barner to the starting job in Seattle after being the No. 2 tight end in 2024.
AJ Barner made a significant jump as a receiver in 2025, more than doubling his rookie yardage total with 519 during the regular season, third-best on the team. His 52 receptions and six touchdowns were the second best record, only surpassed by the Pro Bowl receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Despite appearing on the Seahawks’ injury report in seven of the 10 weeks leading up to their divisional round win against the 49ers, Barner has played in all 19 games.
“I like to play with physical intensity… and that can take a toll on the body,” he said. “But everything is fine. I will do whatever it takes to be ready for the game.”
That includes spending time in a hyperbaric chamber, receiving massages and acupuncture. During the offseason, he also trained with Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell.
After connecting with NFL journalist and training guru Jay Glazer, Barner began working with the UFC legend at Proactive Sports Performance in the Los Angeles area, where the tight end spends much of his free time.
“I have a wrestling background, and when I’m at my best, I really have that ‘kill or be killed’ UFC mentality,” he shared. “It’s not like that, but it’s intense, and when I channel that energy, I think I play at my best. So I was able to train with those guys during the offseason… Not a lot of people do that, so I feel like it gives me an advantage.”
Barner used those sessions — about 10, each an hour long — to supplement his regular training routine.
“A lot of grappling, a lot of leverage work and just training with the ‘Iceman’ himself,” Barner said. “It was amazing. Talking to him about what it’s like to be a wrestler when the lights go out and you go out in the ring. It was a great workout.”
One of the ways this training has paid off is with the ‘tush push’ play.
Thanks in part to this play, the Seahawks have converted 26 of 36 attempts on third or fourth downs with one yard to go in their 19 games. His conversion percentage on these types of plays during the regular season (73.5%) was eighth best in the league. Charbonnet was responsible for five of these conversions, and of his 12 rushing touchdowns (the most on the team), six came from one or two yards out.
The Seahawks lost Charbonnet for the remainder of the playoffs following a torn ACL in the divisional round, meaning Barner could have a larger role on short-yardage plays in Super Bowl LX.
The Patriots defense, despite allowing the fourth-fewest points and eighth-fewest yards during the regular season, has allowed opponents to convert 33 of 42 attempts (78.6%) on third or fourth downs with one yard to go in their 20 games.
Barner said he would “love” to run the play in the Super Bowl.
“I hope they call her,” he said. “It would be amazing to be able to do it on that stage.”
