Feb. 11, 2026, 11:03 a.m. CT

Rashid Shaheed joined the New Orleans Saints in 2022 as an undrafted rookie out of Weber State. Not much was expected from Shaheed, but he made the practice squad coming out of training camp and was promoted to the active roster before the midway part of his rookie year. From there, he’d immediately become the team’s kick returner and carve out a role as a big-play receiver for the Saints.

Shaheed very quickly became one of the NFL’s most feared returners, averaging 12.6 yards with 2 touchdowns on punts and earning 2023 1st Team All-Pro honors. He also developed into an explosive receiver, catching 138 passes for 2,055 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns in 42 games with New Orleans.

fter missing the last 11 games of 2024 with a knee injury, Shaheed returned this season to again team up with Chris Olave on the outside. He started the season off relatively productive with the Saints, and ended the year as a Super Bowl champion.

Rashid Shaheed Year in ReviewPosition: Wide receiverAge: 27Height: 6-feetWeight: 180 poundsNFL experience: 4 years2025 season: 18 games (9 with Saints)Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.

Shaheed was his usual threat on punt returns to start this year with the Saints, averaging 12.9 yards. He was also on pace to have his most productive season as a receiver. Shaheed had 44 receptions for 499 yards through the first nine games, catching at least 4 passes in every game and pulling in a career-high 9 passes in Week 8 against Tampa Bay. His career-best for catches over an entire season was 46 receptions in 2023. Despite a career long 87-yard catch against the Giants, however, Shaheed wasn’t responsible for a lot of his trademark big plays. He was averaging a career-low 11.3 yards per catch through the first half of the 2025 campaign.

New Orleans carried a 1-8 record into early November. With the team essentially eliminated from the playoffs and Shaheed a free agent at year’s end, the Saints traded him to the Seattle Seahawks on November 4. In return for the explosive playmaker, New Orleans received fourth and fifth round draft choices in the 2026 draft.

Shaheed was worked into the Seattle offense immediately as a third receiver. Down the stretch, he added another explosive element to a Seahawks receiving corps that already had Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp. Over the last nine regular season contests, Shaheed caught 15 passes for 188 yards and added another 64 yards rushing. Where he made his biggest impact was on special teams. Shaheed averaged 16.2 yards as a punt returner and 29.9 yards on kickoff returns, taking back one touchdown in each capacity. For that production, he earned the second 1st Team All-Pro recognition of his career.

In the playoffs, Shaheed continued to be a game changer. He took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown during Seattle’s first round playoff win over San Francisco and set up another short field with a big return. His big play abilities caused the Rams and Patriots to kick away from him during the conference title game and Super Bowl, altering each team’s special teams strategies. Shaheed had 3 receptions for 78 yards during the Seahawks Super Bowl run, but was a whisker away from several big plays.

Rashid Shaheed had 59 receptions for 687 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Saints and Seahawks combined in 2025. He also averaged 14.7 yards on punt returns and 29.8 on kickoff returns, taking a total of three back for scores. Armed with a Super Bowl LX championship, Shaheed now enters free agency for the first time. Seattle will likely make a push to keep him and it would be terrific to see him return to New Orleans, but Shaheed’s ability to change games in multiple ways will make him a highly sought acquisition for other teams.