Rashid Shaheed More Than Just a Return Specialist for Seahawks

When John Schneider pulled the trigger on a trade with the New Orleans Saints at the trade deadline last season, it changed the trajectory of Seattle’s season. It’s not too far-fetched to say that the move to bring in Rashid Shaheed helped the Seahawks get over the hump and win the Super Bowl.

While Shaheed is a receiver, he truly turned the tide for Seattle as a return man. He ran back a kick return to open the second half against the Falcons when the game was tied and the offense was sputtering. That sparked Seattle to a blowout win in Atlanta. Later, he returned a punt for a touchdown when Seattle was down two scores to the Rams at home, with the division and No. 1 seed in the NFC possibly at stake. That helped the Seahawks rally to one of the most dramatic wins in franchise history.

He didn’t stop there. On the opening kickoff of Seattle’s postseason, against the 49ers, Shaheed ran it 95 yards and pranced into the endzone for the game-opening score amid the smoke from the pregame fireworks. Before the dust and smoke had cleared, Seattle was already winning and they never looked back.

It’s impossible to tell the story of the 2025 Seahawks without Shaheed. He is a vital part of it, interwoven with so many critical moments leading up to Seattle hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.