Why Rashid Shaheed is the Ultimate X-Factor for the Seahawks Offense in 2026

Wide receiver Rashid Shaheed is getting his footing during his first offseason with the Seattle Seahawks.

Shaheed's midseason trade from the New Orleans Saints to the Seahawks threw him into the fire, but he did a decent job staving off the flames, helping the team win the Super Bowl back in February. After a newly-signed deal this offseason, Shaheed is looking forward to starting fresh with the Seahawks and his teammates are excited for him.

"Excited for him," Jaxon Smith-Njigba said via team reporter Ari Horton. "Came back more explosive than ever. I'm happy for him to finally get a whole offseason with us and into training camp. It's always a special time and it's a grind. For him to be here with us and go through that it's just going to excel him to greater things this season."

Rashid Shaheed's Offseason Will Benefit Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Seahawks acquired Shaheed partially due to his familiarity with Klint Kubiak, who was the offensive coordinator for the Saints in 2024. Kubiak was able to get him integrated into the offense in the second half of last season before he departed for the Las Vegas Raiders in the offseason.

The Raiders were rumored as a potential target for Shaheed in free agency, but the wide receiver opted to sign the new three-year, $51 million deal with the defending Super Bowl champions. Now, Brian Fleury is carving him into the offense, which should have him more involved compared to his role from last year when he was thrust into things midseason.

"Rashid, he deserves a lot of credit. He's been here the whole time. He's had a great attitude. He's had a lot of personal records in our offseason training program. The timing of our plays look like it should, given the amount of reps that are invested into it. I know I'm as excited as heck to see where it goes," head coach Mike Macdonald said via Horton.

Nine games with the Seahawks last season, Shaheed only had 15 catches for 188 yards. He made much more of an impact in the return game, where he ran the ball back for a touchdown once on a kickoff and another on a punt.

His new contract wouldn't have been signed if he wasn't going to have a big role on both offense and special teams. The Seahawks need him to be strong in both areas for the deal to be worth it for them. Therefore, expect No. 22 to have his number called more often in 2026.

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