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ESPN’s Aaron Schatz predicted the Cleveland Browns to sign Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed.
The Seattle Seahawks made a significant trade deadline move, acquiring wide receiver and returner Rashid Shaheed from the New Orleans Saints in November 2025. But ESPN’s Aaron Schatz doesn’t see Shaheed staying with the Seahawks another season.
Schatz predicted the veteran wideout to sign with the Cleveland Browns in 2026 NFL free agency.
“There’s more to the return game than just having a fast return man. The blocking matters. Still, the addition of Shaheed would be a big step forward for a Browns special teams unit that I had ranked 32nd on punt return value and 28th on kick return value through my special teams DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) in 2025,” wrote Schatz.
“Shaheed would also be a strong downfield receiver for a unit that desperately needs improvement. Last season, starting for the Saints and then the reigning Super Bowl champions, he had seven games (including playoffs) with at least 50 receiving yards. No Browns receiver eclipsed Shaheed’s 687 receiving yards in 2025.”
In nine regular season games with the Seahawks, Shaheed posted 15 catches for 188 receiving yards. But Shaheed’s biggest impact came on special teams.
The 27-year-old returned a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns. He returned a kickoff for a score during the playoffs as well.
Will the Cleveland Browns Pursue WR Rashid Shaheed?
Shaheed didn’t have a big role as a pass catcher in Seattle, but he certainly did as a return. Schatz sees Shaheed as a free agent target for the Browns because of his return ability.
Over four NFL seasons, Shaheed has earned two Pro Bowl nominations as a returner. In 2023, he made first-team All-Pro as a returner as well. During 2023, Shaheed had more than 300 yards as both a punt returner and kickoff return man.
The 27-year-old was arguably at his best on special teams in 2025. He averaged a career-best 16.2 yards per punt return and 29.9 yards per kickoff.
Dating back to 2023, Shaheed has returned a punt for a touchdown in three consecutive seasons.
Any team who wants to give its return unit a boost in 2026 should target Shaheed in free agency.
Shaheed’s 2026 NFL Free Agency Value
The 27-year-old is at his best in space on special teams. But it’s not as if he isn’t a decent receiver too. He just didn’t have much opportunity in Seattle’s offense during the second half of 2025.
With the Saints, though, Shaheed posted a 700-plus yard campaign in 2023. Last year, he had 44 catches for 499 receiving yards with two touchdowns in nine games with New Orleans.
Over his final 30 games in New Orleans, Shaheed had 110 receptions for 1,567 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.
With Cleveland, Shaheed could have more of an opportunity on offense, especially with a full offseason to learn the playbook.
Seattle is ranked sixth in the NFL in cap space entering March. If the Seahawks want to bring back Shaheed, they should be able to.
But Seattle has several key unrestricted free agents, most notably in the secondary and running back Kenneth Walker. So, it’s not clear if Shaheed will be a priority to re-sign.
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper ranked Shaheed the No. 7 wide receiver set to be available in 2026 free agency. Popper also predicted Shaheed to be worth $39 million on a 3-year deal.
Spotrac had a slightly higher projection — $42.3 million on a 3-year contract.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb
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