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The Seahawks’ acquisition of Rashid Shaheed ahead of November’s trade deadline has turned into one of the best midseason moves in recent NFL history.
Needing reinforcements for a banged-up 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 out of Weber State, has delivered in a massive 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’ll face the Patriots on Sunday.
“It was a great move initially,” coach Mike Macdonald said last month of acquiring Shaheed. “But from my perspective and the coaches’ perspective, he’s a player that 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 NFL’s most feared special teams units. 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 win over 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 over a division rival.
“When he’s catching the ball in kickoff return,” Macdonald said after the game, “[opponents are] like, ‘Oh, right here we go, we have to include this man.’”
2. Stretching the sector on offense
The specter of Shaheed downfield could make it harder for opposing defenses to cowl the Seahawks’ different pass-catchers, most notably Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was the NFL’s main receiver in 2025 (1,793 yards).
Shaheed averaged 15.1 yards of depth on his routes and ran a vertical route at a 50.9% price with Seattle within the common season, in line with Subsequent Gen Stats. He averaged 12.5 yards per reception with the group within the common season, up from 11.3 with the Saints in his first 9 video games of the 12 months.
His 51-yard reception on the Seahawks’ opening drive within the NFC Championship Recreation towards the Rams arrange a landing for operating again Kenneth Walker III.
From Week 10 (when he joined the Seahawks) by means of the tip of the common season, Shaheed recorded the third-highest playtime share among the many group’s broad receivers, trailing solely Smith-Njigba (80.0%) and Cooper Kupp (77.0%).
The previous Saint had 15 receptions for 188 yards in 9 video games with Seattle within the common season. He additionally had seven carries for 64 yards, together with three first downs, in these appearances.
“He can run each single route, and his velocity is harmful,” Smith-Njigba mentioned in December. “So groups have gotten to respect that, particularly when you’ve acquired eyes on me or whoever.”
[RELATED: 3 Keys to Victory for the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX]
3. Velocity, velocity, velocity
A observe star in highschool, Shaheed is likely one of the NFL’s quickest gamers. His velocity has made a gifted Seahawks group much more dynamic on offense and particular groups.
In accordance with Subsequent Gen Stats, he averaged 15.16 miles per hour on his routes with the Seahawks in 2025, which might be the fourth-fastest within the NFL throughout the common season amongst receivers who ran no less than 250 routes.
Forward of the NFC Championship Recreation, he’d averaged 17.53 mph throughout his 16 kick returns since becoming a member of Seattle (together with postseason), the fourth-fastest mark among the many 47 gamers with no less than 10 returns in that span, per NGS.
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