The Seattle Seahawks might have made one of the best sneaky-good trades at the 2025 deadline. Instead of dealing cornerback Riq Woolen, the team gave two 2026 mid-round draft choices to the New Orleans Saints for wide receiver Rashid Shaheed. That's a win.
Maybe giving up two draft selections is too much, but Shaheed's upside in Klint Kubiak's offensive system might have been too much to pass up. This is especially true as Shaheed already knows Kubiak's scheme since Kubiak was the offensive coordinator for New Orleans last season and coached Shaheed.
Seattle needed wide receiver depth and more speed, and Shaheed supplies that. But he also does something else: He might suppress the snaps an ascending rookie gets. Tory Horton has proven to be explosive through Seattle's first eight games with six total touchdowns, but he has only gotten 22 targets.
Seattle Seahawks adding Rashid Shaheed might mean fewer reps for Tory Horton
As good as he has been at times, maybe the Seahawks wanted a more veteran presence who has displayed the ability to beat defenses deep. While Shaheed is having a career-low season as far as yards per catch at 11.3, he is also playing on an offense with a bad quarterback situation.
In his first three seasons, he averaged at least 15.6 yards per reception. He was also a First-Team All-Pro punt returner in 2023, averaging 13.6 yards per return and returning one for a touchdown. Whether he keeps that role in Seattle is unknown, as Horton has been a good punt returner this season, too.
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Horton would be excused for wondering what his place is now on the wide receiver and punt returner food chain. He needed to step up in Week 9 with veteran Cooper Kupp out with an injury, and Horton did. He had four receptions, and two went for touchdowns. He seemingly showed he would be good with more reps.
Now, he will likely get fewer in a Kubiak system that often only has two wide receivers on the field. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is definitely going to be one of them. The other will be a mix of Kupp (when healthy), Shaheed, Horton, and Jake Bobo. Horton's growth might be stunted by the Shaheed move.
More likely, however, Seattle could have a few more three wide receiver sets. Having JSN, Shaheed, and Horton on the field at one time is going to be a problem for opposing defenses. While the offense has been terrific, led by quarterback Sam Darnold, adding Shaheed adds another wrinkle that defenses have to prepare for.