Contract Terms
Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report reports that Noah Fant is getting a two-year, $21 million deal to stay with the Seattle Seahawks.
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Fantasy Football Impact
Fant's career has been somewhat turbulent since the Broncos selected him in the first round in 2019. After a decent rookie year, in which he caught 40 balls for 562 yards and three touchdowns, Fant improved on those numbers and finished as a top-12 fantasy tight end in each of his next two seasons.
Then, the Broncos traded for Russell Wilson and sent Fant to Seattle. With the Seahawks, his usage regressed to what we saw in his rookie season. In 2022, he only caught 50 balls on 63 targets, resulting in 486 yards and four touchdowns. That resulted in a TE16 finish, and things got worse in 2023. Fant's target total dropped to just 43, and he did not find the endzone for the entire season.
At the end of 2023, Pete Carroll stepped down as head coach and entered the Seattle front office. The team hired Mike Macdonald, the defensive coordinator from the Baltimore Ravens, who in turn brought in Ryan Grubb to be his offensive coordinator and play caller. Grubb's experience is confined to college football, so we can only guess at his pro scheme.
Grubb was recently the offensive coordinator at the University of Washington from 2022 to 2023. His scheme in Seattle is unlikely to perfectly mirror what we saw in college. Still, it's worth noting that he favored the pass slightly, with about 58% pass-to-run ratio at Washington, and his tight ends typically finished 3rd or 4th on the team in receptions. This ratio is similar to what we saw in Seattle over the last couple of seasons.
The Fantasy Football Fallout
So when the TE31 re-signs with the same team, it's all doom and gloom, right? Maybe not. The fallout here is tied to corresponding moves. Earlier in the day, both of Fant's former teammates signed deals with other teams. Colby Parkinson got a massive contract from the Los Angeles Rams, and the Chargers gave Will Dissly a good deal.
Now that he has the tight end role to himself, at least for the time being, Fant can expect an increased role in the offense. Last year, the Seahawks threw to the tight end 99 times, but Fant only saw 43% of that target share. With 56 targets now vacated, it's reasonable to assume that Fant could return to at least the 63 targets he received in 2022 and maybe even a few more.
Our Hutchinson Brown disagrees, likening the re-signing in Seattle to a "death sentence" for Fant and saying, "I was hoping he'd go to a spot with more opportunity for him." The team did restructure Tyler Lockett's deal to keep him around, and second-year wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba should also get more involved. However, even a small increase in volume could see a rise in fantasy value for Fant in the bleak middle ground of fantasy tight ends. He won't be a top-10 guy but could return to the streaming radar.
Stock Watch
Risers
- Noah Fant, by virtue of being the only returning tight end
- Colby Parkinson, the new starter for the Los Angeles Rams
- Will Dissly, the new starter for the Los Angeles Chargers
Fallers
- None
Overview
While all three of the Seahawks' 2023 tight ends were set to hit free agency, Noah Fant was the only one retained by the team. Colby Parkinson signed with the Rams, and Will Dissly is now a Charger. The Seahawks gave Fant a two-year deal for $21 million, and he now has tight end room for himself. We've seen him play well in the past, and he may return to form with less competition and a new offense in Seattle.
