Seahawks Sign Ben Sims After Elijah Arroyo IR: Week 8 Fantasy Impact

The Seattle Seahawks added veteran tight end Ben Sims to their practice squad on Tuesday, October 27, replenishing the position less than a week after Elijah Arroyo went to injured reserve with a shoulder injury.

Seattle announced the Sims signing after releasing Josiah Deguara earlier Tuesday. The transaction gives the Seahawks another experienced blocker and emergency game-day option before their Week 8 Monday night matchup with the Chicago Bears.

What Ben Sims brings to Seattle

Sims is a 6-foot-5, 250-pound fourth-year tight end who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Baylor in 2023. He has appeared in 45 regular-season games with eight starts, catching 11 passes for 93 yards and one touchdown.

The production is modest, but Sims has already handled complementary offensive and special-teams work across stops with Green Bay and Minnesota. The Miami Dolphins’ signing announcement also credits him with 78 receptions, 785 yards and 12 touchdowns during his Baylor career.

Seattle is signing that experience to the practice squad, not installing a new starter. Sims would need a standard elevation or a move to the 53-man roster before he could play, and his career usage points toward a blocking and depth role rather than a featured receiving assignment.

Why the move follows Elijah Arroyo’s injury

Arroyo suffered a shoulder injury in Seattle’s Week 6 game at Denver. The Seahawks placed him on injured reserve on October 22 when they activated running back Zach Charbonnet. Injured reserve requires at least a four-game absence, and reports around the move indicated Arroyo’s season could be over.

The loss thinned a tight end room that had been built around Arroyo’s receiving upside and A.J. Barner’s all-around role. Sims gives Seattle a veteran it can develop in the system while preserving flexibility for the active roster.

A.J. Barner remains the fantasy tight end to roster

Fantasy scoring note: The recommendations use half PPR scoring unless stated otherwise. Barner remains a matchup-dependent TE2, while Sims is a watchlist-only player in deep dynasty formats until Seattle elevates him and gives him a meaningful route role.

The Sims signing does not change the top of Seattle’s depth chart. Barner has started all seven games this season and has 19 receptions for 180 yards, according to NFL.com’s official statistics. He has not scored a receiving touchdown, but his route access and starting role make him the only Seahawks tight end with normal redraft value.

Barner remains a matchup-dependent TE2 rather than an automatic start. The absence of Arroyo can consolidate some passing-game opportunities, but Seattle also has multiple established wide receivers and running backs competing for targets. Managers should value Barner’s snap stability more than assume a sudden high-volume breakout.

Sims belongs only on watchlists in deep dynasty formats. Even if Seattle elevates him for Monday night, his most likely contribution would come as a blocker or on special teams. A receiving role large enough to matter in standard fantasy leagues would require additional injuries and clear evidence of route participation.

Week 8 impact against the Bears

Seattle hosts Chicago on Monday, November 2, at 8:15 p.m. ET, a matchup confirmed by the NFL’s official Seahawks schedule. The extra day gives Sims additional practice time, but it does not guarantee a game-day elevation.

Fantasy managers using Barner should monitor Seattle’s first Week 8 practice report and the Saturday roster transactions. If Sims is elevated, that would mostly signal a need for blocking and depth behind Barner. If he remains on the practice squad, Seattle can continue leaning on its active tight ends and fullback personnel.

The strongest counterargument is that Arroyo’s absence could create more tight end work than expected and give Sims a faster path to snaps. That is possible, but it would still require an elevation and evidence that Sims is running routes rather than serving mainly as a blocker or special teams option.

What to watch next

Three checkpoints matter: whether Sims is elevated, whether Seattle adds another tight end to the 53-man roster, and whether Barner appears on the Week 8 injury report. None of those developments had occurred as of the publication cutoff.

For now, Barner remains the fantasy-relevant player, while Sims is a real-football depth addition with minimal immediate receiving value.

Bottom line

The Seahawks responded to Arroyo’s injured-reserve placement by adding an experienced, block-capable tight end to the practice squad. Sims improves organizational depth but does not displace Barner, who remains Seattle’s clear fantasy option entering Week 8.

Factual cutoff: October 28, 2026 at 2:14 AM CDT. Seattle’s transaction, Arroyo’s injured reserve placement, Barner’s official statistics and the Week 8 schedule were checked at that time. Update this article if Seattle elevates Sims or changes its active tight end group before Monday night.