What Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald said about Rashid Shaheed's status for Week 18

The Seattle Seahawks are entering a winner-take-all game against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18 for the NFC West title and No. 1 seed in the conference. They've survived some significant injuries in the past few games, but they will need all hands on deck in the regular season finale, if possible.

Seattle lost wide receiver and Pro Bowl kick returner Rashid Shaheed to a concussion in Week 17 against the Carolina Panthers. Shaheed has been a huge spark for the Seahawks with a pair of return touchdowns and big plays that have helped spur victories.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald provided some encouraging news on Shaheed's injury heading into the most important regular-season game the team has played in a decade. The last time the franchise had a first-round bye was back in 2014.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) reacts in the second half. — Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) reacts in the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Macdonald said, "It seems like it's going well," when discussing Shaheed's status, per ESPN's Brady Henderson. In reference to all other injuries, including the players currently on IR, Macdonald said, "We're really going to be playing that throughout the week," per Henderson.

So, while Shaheed appears to be trending positively toward playing on Saturday, the Seahawks may not have left tackle Charles Cross or safety Coby Bryant back. Cross has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, and Bryant missed Week 17 with a knee injury he suffered the week before.

Even getting Shaheed back is a boost. He hasn't had a massive impact on offense (14 catches for 186 yards and seven rushes for 64 yards) since being acquired at the trade deadline, but he forces opponents to respect him on special teams.

Wide receiver Dareke Young is a good returner as well, but Shaheed is dangerous on another level. If the Seahawks are trailing at any point, Shaheed can flip a game on its head.

The Seahawks and 49ers face off at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 3. There's a chance the Seahawks, 49ers and Los Angeles Rams all finish with 13 or more wins in one of the craziest NFC West races the division has ever seen.

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