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# Rashid Shaheed Full Speed Ahead in First Offseason Program With Seahawks
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/rashid-shaheed-full-speed-ahead-first-offseason-program-seattle-seahawks/
- Published: 2026-06-10T23:53:27.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T05:55:46.000Z
- Author: Corbin Smith
- Tags: Features, Seahawks, Rashid Shaheed

RENTON, Wash. - Playing the role of dynamite on special teams, the Seattle Seahawks midseason acquisition of Rashid Shaheed at the trade deadline proved to be an absolute game changer for the franchise on the way to a Super Bowl LX victory.

Any time Shaheed touched the football on kickoff or punt returns, lightning was liable to strike, especially at Lumen Field. Just ask the NFC West rival Rams and 49ers, who watched the speedy wideout put six points on the board against them with returns for touchdowns in Week 16 and the Divisional Round, respectively, providing instant offense for the Seahawks in the crucial third phase of the game that helped bring a second Lombardi Trophy to the Pacific Northwest.

While trading for Shaheed certainly belongs in the discussion as one of the best deadline deals made by general manager John Schneider due to his three total special teams touchdowns, however, the Seahawks didn’t receive near as much sizzle from the electric receiver on offense as they hoped for after acquiring him from the Saints. In nine regular season games following the trade, he managed to produce only 15 catches for 188 yards and didn’t score a touchdown, struggling to consistently sync up with quarterback Sam Darnold in the passing game as they tried to build chemistry on the fly.

But reaping the benefits of a full offseason working with Darnold after signing a three-year, $51 million contract to stay in Seattle back in March, coach Mike Macdonald expects Shaheed to emerge as a far more formidable weapon alongside Jaxon Smith-Njigba in new coordinator Brian Fleury’s offense in 2026.

“It's been great. Rashid, he deserves a lot of credit,” Macdonald said on Wednesday after an abbreviated minicamp walkthrough session. “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.”

During the May/June slog that is OTAs and mandatory minicamps in the NFL, it’s far from uncommon for players to boast about being in the best shape of their lives, oftentimes venturing into the land of hyperbole in the process. Such comments can be a dime a dozen around the league landscape with training camp still almost two months away.

But if Shaheed were to make such a proclamation, he would have easily passed the eye test in the final phase of Seattle’s offseason program, as he looks to have added a bit of good muscle to his lean frame and based off of Macdonald’s remarks as well as observations on the field, he’s as explosive as he’s ever been. Being in a similar scheme with plenty of carryover to the system Klint Kubiak deployed Shaheed in both in New Orleans and Seattle undoubtedly has helped ease the transition.

Most importantly, after not being quite on the same page as Darnold timing-wise for most of the second half and postseason with several missed opportunities where they failed to connect on deep balls, Shaheed and the Pro Bowl quarterback have found their groove in practices open to media this spring, flashing the big play theatrics fans expected to see plenty of upon arrival.

Showcasing his track speed and soft hands in Seattle’s second open OTA earlier this month, Shaheed initially ran a hard slant inside before accelerating out of his break on a sluggo route towards the sideline. Leaving cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett in the dust, Darnold dropped a perfect dime right into the bucket for the receiver in stride, allowing him to haul in a 40-yard reception before stepping out of bounds. He later added two touchdown catches during 11-on-11 drills and tacked on a 25-yard catch over the middle on a dig route from backup Drew Lock for good measure.

Only hooking up with Shaheed for four completions on 11 throws traveling 20-plus yards last year, including in the postseason, it was a sight to behold for Darnold as he and his still relatively new target become more and more in lockstep adjusting to a new, yet familiar system.

“I feel like we're good,” Darnold said of his budding relationship with Shaheed. “We're just continuing to learn each other.”

Continuing to impress on Day 1 of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, Shaheed reeled in a pair of crossing routes over the middle for first downs, using his speed to quickly pick up big chunks of yardage after the catch before quick whistles stopped the plays. Seeing a significant uptick in volume for targets compared to last year when he had six games with one or less throws in his direction, he also executed a well-ran comeback route after selling a vertical release to snag a first down converting catch from Darnold, demonstrating the growth of his chemistry with the quarterback beyond simply being a downfield home run threat.

In the run game, Fleury dialed up a few end arounds and jet sweeps for the dual-threat gadget as well, seeking out different ways to be able to get the ball to him in space to let his athleticism and playmaking ability take over.

Other receivers have taken notice as Shaheed has continued to become more and more comfortable with Darnold and Fleury, including Smith-Njigba, who will be more than happy to see his teammate settle into an increased role and help take attention away from the reigning Offensive Player of the Year winner in the process.

“Excited for him. Came back for explosive than ever,” Smith-Njigba smiled. “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.”

Even with a new contract in hand worth north of $17 million per year, the Seahawks plan to continue unleashing Shaheed as one of the NFL’s most dangerous kick and punt return dynamos. That aspect of his game, at least for the foreseeable future, will remain a featured strength with special teams being prioritized by Macdonald’s team as much as anyone in the league.

With that said, given the financial investment made to re-sign him, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if Seattle mixes in other capable returners over the course of the season, including a healthy Tory Horton on punt returns, to keep Shaheed fresh on offense. Unlike last fall’s crash course where he and Darnold just seemed to be a hair off the mark on a regular basis as they figured one another out, expectations will be much higher with promising results on the practice field suggesting a breakout could be coming in his first full season with the organization.

If Shaheed can live up to those standards, paired with Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, and Horton, there’s little reason to believe the Seahawks will take a step back offensively. In fact, armed with game-altering speed and the ability to win both downfield and after the catch, he may hold the key to the unit taking their prolific passing attack to a whole other level this season, which would be a major development as Macdonald’s squad defends their Super Bowl title.