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# Analysis: Rationalizing Seahawks Decision to Cut Noah Fant Prior to Training Camp
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/analysis-rationalizing-seattle-seahawks-decision-cut-noah-fant/
- Published: 2025-07-21T16:44:29.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T05:37:07.000Z
- Author: Corbin Smith
- Tags: Analysis, Seahawks, Noah Fant, Elijah Arroyo, AJ Barner, Training Camp, Eric Saubert, Brady Russell

\[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1080"\]

![  Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant runs upfield after making a catch against the Denver Broncos at Lumen Field. Credit: Noah Fant/Instagram  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/459218530_18455673322034937_1079575134964169858_n-format-original.jpg)

Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant runs upfield after making a catch against the Denver Broncos at Lumen Field. Credit: Noah Fant/Instagram \[/caption\]

In his 15-plus seasons as general manager of the Seattle Seahawks, John Schneider has been known to hurl a curveball from time to time, whether using an early draft pick on an unexpected player or making a splashy trade weeks leading up to training camp.

But Schneider uncorked a never-before-seen knuckleball on Sunday, as the Seahawks released starting tight end Noah Fant just two days before training camp opens at the Virginia Mason Athletic Complex. While the renowned executive has released high-priced players before, those moves have typically happened as a result of age and/or injuries, and the former first-round pick out of Iowa has been pretty healthy and remains in the prime of his career.

So what compelled Seattle to move on from Fant this late in the process? Why did Schneider not make this move months ago - he could have been among a litany of cap casualties before free agency with a quick turnaround to find a new team - if the franchise didn’t view him as part of their plans in 2025?

The reasoning behind the somewhat unexpected departure of Fant - at least at this stage of the offseason - could be seen as both simple and complex. For those who enjoy playing the role of bean counter, there were 8.9 million reasons why the Seahawks decided they didn’t need Fant in 2025, as that would have been his guaranteed salary if on the roster in Week 1\. The team also invested a second round pick in athletic pass catching tight end Elijah Arroyo in April, bringing a natural replacement option on board at a far cheaper cost.

It’s also worth noting that while Fant did catch at least 48 passes in two of his three seasons with Seattle, he caught a grand total of one touchdown in his last 31 games, nearly getting shut out for two whole seasons before finally finding the end zone in a season-ending win over Los Angeles in January. After picking up his fifth-year option shortly following his acquisition as part of the blockbuster Russell Wilson trade from Denver, he received a two-year deal worth $21 million in March 2024, which was top-10 money annually for the tight end position at the time.

At north of $10 million per year, the Seahawks obviously expected a better return on their investment from a player who has been solid, yet unspectacular playing in multiple offenses that were supposed to accentuate his strengths as a field stretching, YAC-generating weapon. An argument can be made that his lack of inline blocking ability, at least compared to others on the roster, also may have been a less-than-ideal fit in new coordinator Klint Kubiak’s offense.

But while Fant’s salary may seem like an easy answer pertaining to why Schneider and the Seahawks decided to jettison him, especially with his production not matching the significant money paid out on his latest contract and Arroyo now waiting in the wings with arguably more upside as a pass catcher, that still doesn’t explain waiting until basically the eve of training camp to make the move. And it’s not as if the team desperately needed cap space either, as OverTheCap.com had them with close to $28 million in available room before Monday’s surprising release.

If Seattle really needed more financial wiggle room, Fant could have been given a pink slip along with receiver Tyler Lockett, defensive end Dre’Mont Jones, and others four months ago. Instead, he participated in OTAs and mandatory minicamp in full, and it appeared Kubiak had a plan in place to try to unlock his potential in an offense that has been quite tight end-friendly over the years. Considering Kubiak has deployed a ton of two and three-tight end sets in his prior tenures as a play caller in the league, keeping him around with AJ Barner and Arroyo seemed like a tenable situation for all parties.

However, anytime a release of a known commodity such as Fant happens at this time on the calendar, there’s likely one or two scenarios playing out behind the scenes. In terms of probability, there’s a very strong chance Schneider didn’t want to release Fant outright without receiving any compensation in return and hoped that a tight end-needy team coming out of the draft would be willing to take on his $8.9 million and deal a late round pick in exchange for him.

One team in particular - the Dolphins - looked like the perfect trade partner after dealing Jonnu Smith along with cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Steelers last month. But Miami quickly found a replacement by acquiring the rights to unretired tight end Darren Waller from the Giants, signing him to a far more affordable one-year, $2 million contract. Without that option on the table, Schneider didn’t have an avenue for moving Fant’s contract and receiving anything in return, making a release the only option if the Seahawks wanted to move on.

It’s also plausible that Fant, seeing the writing on the wall with the Arroyo selection and him being in the last year of his contract, had conversations with Schneider and the front office seeking a new home this spring. Once trade opportunities all but dried up, the two sides may have mutually agreed on a split before camp to allow the player a chance to land on his feet elsewhere rather than dragging things out.

For fans who foresee Fant’s exit as a precursor to a big trade or signing, though Schneider can never be ruled out when it comes to making a splash, this doesn’t feel like a decision that serves as the catalyst domino needed to facilitate a deal for a star pass rusher such as Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson. If Seattle wanted to make a move of that magnitude, it easily could have been done with the tight end’s salary still on the books for this year. And since he wasn’t under contract in 2026, releasing him doesn’t really do anything in relation to extensions for tackle Charles Cross or other members of the 2022 draft class.

Instead, this appears to be a simple breakup that had been brewing for some time with a player seeking long term security on a team that already had made overtures that he wasn’t part of the future. Nothing more and nothing less. Once the Seahawks knew they couldn’t get anything in return for Fant as hoped, with Barner and Arroyo ready to take the torch and capable veterans such as Eric Saubert or Brady Russell ready to contribute as a cheaper third tight end, there was no other decision to be made than for the team and player to go separate ways before camp kicked off.