Game Changers: How Rashid Shaheed Transformed the Seahawks

The Seahawks’ acquisition of Rashid Shaheed before the November trade deadline turned into one of the best midseason moves in recent NFL history. Needing reinforcements for a crumbling receiver room, Seattle general manager John Schneider sent the Saints fourth- and fifth-round picks in this year’s draft for the 2023 All-Pro return specialist. And Shaheed, who signed with New Orleans in 2022 as an undrafted free agent from Weber State, delivered on his promises in a big way. He was named to his second Pro Bowl as a returner in 2025, delivering electrifying moments on both offense and special teams to help the Seahawks reach Super Bowl LX, where they will face the Patriots on Sunday. “It was a great decision initially,” coach Mike Macdonald said last month of acquiring Shaheed. “But from my point of view and the coaches’ point of view, he’s a player we really respect.” Here are three ways Shaheed has transformed the Seahawks: 1. Scoring punch on special teams This is where Shaheed has made the biggest impact, giving the Seahawks one of the most feared special teams units in the NFL. In 11 games with Seattle, including the playoffs, the two-time Pro Bowler has three return touchdowns. The first came in Week 14 in Atlanta, where he returned the second half kickoff 100 yards in a Seahawks win over the Falcons. Two weeks later, Shaheed had a 58-yard punt return touchdown in the fourth quarter of an overtime victory against the Rams. Then, in the divisional round against the Niners, he returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, sending Lumen Field into a frenzy and setting the tone for a dominant playoff victory against a division rival. “When he catches the ball on the kickoff return,” Macdonald said after the game, “[opponents are] ” 2. Spread the field on offense Shaheed’s threat downfield can make it more difficult for opposing defenses to cover the Seahawks’ other pass catchers, including Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was the NFL’s leading receiver in 2025 (1,793 yards). Shaheed averaged 15.1 yards deep on his routes and ran a vertical. He averaged 12.5 yards per reception with the team in the regular season, compared to 11.3 with the Saints in his first nine games of the year. His 51-yard reception on the Seahawks’ first drive in the NFC Championship Game against the Rams gave the running back a touchdown starting in Week 10 (when he joined the Seahawks at the end of the regular season), Shaheed recorded the third-highest playing time percentage among the team’s wide receivers, behind him. Smith-Njigba (80.0%) and Cooper Kupp (77.0%) had 15 receptions for 188 yards in nine games with Seattle during the regular season. He also had seven carries for 64 yards, including three first downs, in those appearances Smith-Njigba said in December: “So teams have to respect that, especially if you have eyes on me or anyone.” [RELATED: 3 Keys to Victory for the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX] 3. Speed, speed, speed A high school track and field star, Shaheed is one of the fastest players in the NFL. His speed has made a talented Seahawks team even more dynamic on offense and on special teams. According to Next Gen Stats, he averaged 15.16 miles per hour on his routes with the Seahawks in 2025, which would be fourth-fastest in the NFL during the regular season among receivers who ran at least 250 routes. Before the NFC Championship Game, he had averaged 17.53 mph on his 16 kick returns since arriving in Seattle (including the playoffs), the fourth-fastest mark among 47 players with at least 10 returns during that span, according to NGS.