Seattle Seahawks receiver Rashid Shaheed during the Super Bowl parade.
The Seahawks may be headed toward the open market with one of their most explosive playmakers.ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on X that Rashid Shaheed is “not close” to an extension with Seattle and the expectation is that he will test the free-agent market on Monday, per sources.
Monday, March 9, is the start of the NFL’s legal negotiating window (teams can talk terms), before the new league year begins Wednesday, March 11. That means Seattle’s clock is officially ticking if it wants to prevent a bidding war.
Key Points
Schefter says an extension isn’t close; expectation is Shaheed tests the market Monday.
Shaheed finished the 2025 season with Seattle after arriving from New Orleans in-season.
Seattle has meaningful 2026 cap room, but WR market pressure is real.
Rashid Shaheed Contract
Shaheed is positioned to hit free agency because his deal is expiring andSpotrac lists him as a decently valuable 2026 free agent. That’s the nightmare scenario for Seattle when a player flashes big-play traits late in the year, because it only takes one team to overpay.
Here’s the money snapshot:
Current deal: Spotrac shows his current contract average salary at $5.2 million (contract expiring into 2026 free agency).
Projected value: Spotrac’s calculated market value pegs him around 3 years, ~$42.38 million (about $14.1M AAV).
If Shaheed hits the negotiating window Monday, Seattle can still re-sign him, but they’ll be negotiating in the same lane as every WR-needy team. And because the signing period doesn’t open until March 11, the next few days are typically where frameworks get built (and prices climb).
Rashid Shaheed Stats
Shaheed’s Seahawks production matters because it changes how teams will price him.According to NFL.com’s stats breakdown, he appeared in 9 games for Seattle in 2025, logging 15 receptions for 188 yards, plus 7 rushing attempts for 64 yards.
Zooming out to the full body of work, NFL.com lists his career totals as 153 catches, 2,243 receiving yards and 12 TDs (plus return/rush value). Pro Football Reference also reflects 2,243 career receiving yards.
And the context Seattle fans will remember: Shaheed arrived in a midseason move.We previously reported the Seahawks acquired him from the Saints for draft picks (pending a physical), with the idea he could add juice immediately.
Rashid Shaheed 40 Time
One reason Shaheed’s market could move fast once the negotiating window opens is simple: teams pay for speed, and Shaheed’s calling card has always been “home-run” acceleration.
The tricky part? There isn’t a clean, universally accepted “official” 40-yard dash number on him from the pre-draft process. Fox Sports reported Shaheed was coming off ACL surgery late in college and couldn’t run at his pro day or fully showcase for scouts, which is a big reason he entered the league as an undrafted free agent.
That said, speed evaluators still attach an estimate to his profile:
PlayerProfiler lists Shaheed’s 40-yard dash at 4.53 seconds under “Workout Metrics.”
A 2025 Yahoo Sports piece also noted the lack of a readily available official time, pointing out that Shaheed didn’t test in that setting.
Fan reaction snapshot
Seattle fans are already split on what “testing free agency” really means. From the main discussion thread:
“Testing free agency doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t be back…” “This more likely means… they’re looking more closely at the WR draft class…”
Seahawks Cap Space
If you’re wondering whether the Seahawks canafford Shaheed at a market-rate number, the early answer is yes, depending on priorities.
That “Top-51” offseason accounting will shift as Seattle fills out the bottom of the roster, but the big picture is clear: the Seahawks have room to play, yet WR spending competes with every other need (OL, defensive front, depth, etc.). A $14M-per-year WR bet is doable, but it becomes a question ofallocation more thanability.
What happens next?
March 9 (Monday): Negotiating window opens, Shaheed’s market forms fast.
March 11 (Wednesday): League year starts; deals can become official.
Seattle’s choice: match market (and decide his role/targets) or pivot to cheaper WR/return options through the draft and value free agents.