Saints Couldn't Pass Up Generous Offer From Seahawks In Rashid Shaheed Trade

It was a move that had to be made...

Aug 10, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) reacts in the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints couldn't let the trade deadline pass without making at least one major move with an eye toward the future.

Wideouts Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed have both been coveted trade targets for teams looking for offensive help. And they weren't going to get the 1-8 Saints any closer to a playoff spot this year (probably not next year either).

Shaheed, the 27-year-old speedster who will be a free agent at the end of the season, was always the more plausible trade candidate. And ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline, the Saints made the tough, but ultimately smart decision to move on from him.

Saints move on from Rashid Shaheed at last possible opportunity

Oct 5, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) celebrates after a play against the New York Giants during the fourth quarter at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

According to a report from Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Shaheed is headed to the Seattle Seahawks, who sit atop the NFC West at 6-2 and needed another threat in the passing game to complement emerging superstar Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the Saints are receiving fourth and fifth-round picks in the 2026 draft for Shaheed, which is a very strong return. The Las Vegas Raiders got a fourth-rounder and a sixth-rounder for Jakobi Meyers, their No. 1 receiver, earlier on Thursday.

In New Orleans, Shaheed will be reunited with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who held the same role for the Saints a year ago. He'll also have a new quarterback in Sam Darnold who is having a special season, proving the Seahawks were right to gamble on giving him a three-year contract.

In nine games this year, Shaheed has 44 catches for 499 yards and two touchdowns. He was a first-team All-Pro return specialist in 2023, but these days, he's a very legitimate No. 2 or No. 3 threat for a high-octane offense.

But unless the Saints felt confident they could retain Shaheed in free agency, and that he was a crucial building block for a future contending offense, it made all the sense in the world to trade him. Until New Orleans knows who its quarterback of the future will be (it sure doesn't look like Spencer Rattler or Tyler Shough is that quarterback), having a veteran speedy deep threat isn't a high priority.

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