The Seahawks tried to select Noah Fant in the 2019 draft, only to have him selected one pick before they were up, then they were able to eventually land him in a 2022 trade.

And this week, the Seahawks made sure they kept their top tight end before he could officially become a free agent with the start of the new league year, signing Fant to a multiyear deal Wednesday. After signing, Fant said working with new head coach Mike Macdonald and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb played into his decision to stay in Seattle.

"I believe in what Coach Macdonald is doing," Fant said. "I got to talk to him, and talk to Grubb also, and I just really believe in this roster and in the new coaching staff, so I wanted to be a part of it."

"Obviously in free agency there's a bunch of different options, and I wanted to be somewhere that, one, I could see myself enjoying to be, and I already know what it's like being here, and I built a bunch of great relationships with people here, but also somewhere that is a good situational fit for me, and I felt like under the new regime, under the new offensive coordinator, I felt like this could be a place that I'll be able to flourish and really take advantage of my talents. So I'm excited to put the work in and do that on the field."

Fant, who was acquired by Seattle as part of the trade that sent Russell Wilson to Denver in 2022, has appeared in all 34 games over the past two seasons with 33 starts, catching 82 passes for 900 yards and four touchdowns.

And as general manager and president of football operations John Schneider explained after that 2022 trade, the Seahawks thought they were going to acquire Fant in the 2019 draft. Picking 21^st overall, the Seahawks were getting the card ready to turn in with Fant's name on it, but Denver instead picked him at No. 20, leading to the Seahawks trading back in the first round.

"We had his name written down," Schneider said in 2022 after the trade. "It was that close, we thought he was coming to us. You're talking about a guy that's a big man, is young… He's a huge target, and he can run."

In talking with Grubb about Seattle's new offense, Fant came away excited about what he can do in 2024 and beyond.

"The coolest thing with him in what we talked about is just allowing guys to be in the best position possible that fits their game, and just wanting guys to succeed and believing in his guys," Fant said. "I think that's the coolest thing, having the versatility in the offense to be able to move around and stuff, so I'm excited for that."