Free Agent Primer: Will Rashid Shaheed Return to Run it Back With Seahawks in ‘26?

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Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) reacts in the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images [/caption]

After climbing back to the NFL’s mountaintop by winning Super Bowl LX, the Seattle Seahawks have no shortage of big decisions to make this offseason as they begin their title defense, starting with the free agency period.

With a new league year slated to kick off on March 11, the Seahawks have nine unrestricted free agents scheduled to test the market along with seven restricted free agents and two exclusive rights free agents. Compared to prior seasons, general manager John Schneider has more financial flexibility at his disposal with OverTheCap.com listing the franchise as sixth in available effective cap space ($62 million), but with several big name stars in line for extensions such as All-Pro receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the team won’t be able to keep everyone after running the table to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Over the next several weeks, using statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and TruMedia, I will break down each and every one of the Seahawks' unrestricted free agents by revisiting their 2025 seasons, assessing why they should or should not be re-signed, breaking down an ideal contract, and making an early prediction on whether or not the player will return in 2026.

After sending Lumen Field into a frenzy with multiple kick and punt returns for touchdowns following his midseason arrival via trade, will the Seahawks be able to bring back speedy receiver and special teams ace Rashid Shaheed? Or will his market prove to be too expensive with numerous other suitors in pursuit?

2025 in Review

Returning to action after missing most of the 2024 season with a knee injury, Shaheed caught 44 passes for 499 yards and two touchdowns in nine games with the Saints before being acquired by the Seahawks at the trade deadline for a fourth and fifth-round pick. The veteran wideout started slow with his new team on offense as he acclimated to catching passes from Sam Darnold, catching only four passes for 37 yards in his first four games in Seattle. However, he started to find his groove in a Week 13 win over the Falcons, returning the opening kickoff of the second half for a touchdown and snagging four passes for 67 yards. He followed up with a 74-yard performance against the Colts and then launched an epic comeback against the Rams in Week 16 by returning a punt for a touchdown. Saving an encore for the postseason, he opened the Divisional Round against the 49ers with a kickoff returned for six points, giving him three special teams touchdowns in just a six-game span. He wrapped up the regular season with 687 receiving yards and five total touchdowns, closing out his rookie deal as a Super Bowl champion.

Why Seattle Will Re-Sign Shaheed

Still just 27 years old, Shaheed’s overall impact can’t be fully appreciated through numbers alone. Even though the speedy wideout failed to hit 200 receiving yards in nine regular season games with the Seahawks and had several games where he was rendered a complete non-factor on offense, he contributed 64 yards on seven carries as a runner on jet sweeps and end arounds to go with two special teams touchdowns in the return game, striking fear in opponents with a myriad of ways to take advantage of his explosiveness. His ability to create as a downfield threat also helped open up the run game in the second half of the season, forcing opponents to play with lighter boxes to avoid getting torched by Seattle’s weapons on the outside.

Considering he had to adjust to a new quarterback midseason, it wouldn’t be off base at all to think Shaheed’s production would see a major uptick with a full offseason to continue building chemistry with Darnold. Even without Klint Kubiak calling plays, Seattle’s offensive scheme should be very similar under new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury, presenting a fine fit for the versatile playmaker to maximize his unique skill set as a complementary target next to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Even if he’s not expected to be the team’s No. 1 - or even No. 2 thanks to the presence of Cooper Kupp - receiver, his talents as a game-changing return man extraordinare alone could justify paying him as such to keep him in town long-term.

Why Seattle Will Let Shaheed Walk

For as dynamic as Shaheed proved to be on special teams, which absolutely played a major factor in Seattle’s run to a Lombardi Trophy, there may be a bit of buyer beware when it comes to overpaying for his services. He has never been a 1,000-yard receiver in his NFL career, failing to even hit the 750-yard mark once, and as demonstrated in his partial season with the Seahawks with just a 57% catch rate, his game can be a bit feast or famine as a pass catcher with splash plays downfield being a key part of his effectiveness. His running ability adds to his value, particularly in a Shanahan-style offensive system, but not enough by itself to pay big bucks for good, not great, receiving production.

Dating back to his college career at Weber State, Shaheed has battled durability issues as well, suffering several significant knee injuries. While starring for the Wildcats as one of the most prolific return specialists in FCS history, he tore his ACL twice, and he missed a large chunk of his final full season with the Saints recovering from surgery to repair a torn meniscus. If other teams drive up the price tag once free agency opens, a lengthy injury history coupled with a slight 185-pound frame could be a deal breaker for the Seahawks when it comes to a multi-year investment to retain him.

Ideal Contract

Three years, $33 million

Prediction

When it comes to midseason deadline trades, John Schneider has not been one to acquire talented players as half-season rentals, signing the likes of Leonard Williams, Ernest Jones, Quandre Diggs, and Duane Brown to lucrative contracts after coming to town on expiring deals. All four of the aforementioned players earned those extensions as impact additions, and on the merits of his fireworks as a kick and punt returner alone, Shaheed deserves to be next in line for a pay day. Based on his comments immediately after the trade in October, which Schneider agreed to make by upping the ante and tacking on a second early Day 3 draft pick to lad him, interest in making the Pacific Northwest a long-term home seemed to be mutual.

But while the Seahawks would certainly love to bring back Shaheed under the belief better days lie ahead as a target for Darnold, a union beyond 2026 is far from a slam dunk. Kubiak has a strong relationship with the receiver dating to their time together in New Orleans and needs all the help he can get as the new head coach in Las Vegas with a team lacking firepower at the receiver position. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if the Raiders throw the bag at him with a chance to sell him on being a No. 1 target for the first time in his career in a familiar offense, and such a scenario would be tricky for the Seahawks to match with Smith-Njigba poised to receive a record-setting extension and Kupp carrying a hefty cap hit as well. This feels like a scenario where, unless Seattle signs him at its desired price prior to the start of free agency as it did with Jones and Williams in recent offseasons, he’s likely on his way out of town with more money being offered to him elsewhere and Schneider opting to bow out rather than enter a bidding war.

Previous Free Agent Primers: Ken Walker III | Riq Woolen