The Pittsburgh Steelers did a good job of drafting and developing wide receivers for years. They had a good track record of keeping that position a strength of their team. However, that hasn’t been the case in recent years. Instead, receiver has been one of the Steelers’ biggest weaknesses. Fixing that should be one of their main priorities this offseason, and free agency offers some potential solutions. Former Steelers corner Joe Haden thinks that Pittsburgh should target Seattle Seahawks receiver Rashid Shaheed.
“I know that we’re gonna need another receiver,” Haden said Friday on his Deebo and Joe podcast. “My main guy that I would like, I think people are sleeping on my dude Rashid Shaheed.
“He’s one of my sleeper picks at wide receiver because I think he’s a dog receiver. He’s a sneaky dude and special teams, I think he would help out our special teams big time in the kickoff return game and the punt return game along with his receiver skills.”
Shaheed entered the NFL in 2022 as an undrafted free agent with the New Orleans Saints. He served as a depth piece there, mostly shining on special teams, where he was a first-team All-Pro in 2023.
The Saints traded Shaheed to the Seahawks during the 2025 season in exchange for mid-round draft picks. That was a deal that many thought the Steelers should’ve made, as they were also looking for receiver help last season. Shaheed went on to be a key piece of the Seahawks’ Super Bowl run, including returning the opening kickoff of Seattle’s Divisional Round game for a touchdown.
Now, the Steelers should have another opportunity to add Shaheed. He’s set to hit free agency, and it doesn’t sound like the Seahawks are going to get a deal done with him before then. It remains to be seen what Shaheed’s price tag will be, but he shouldn’t be too expensive.
While Shaheed doesn’t project as a high-end WR2, he would be an upgrade for Pittsburgh. He’s got great speed, so he’s best used as a deep threat. The Steelers could use that alongside DK Metcalf.
Shaheed could also provide a spark for Pittsburgh’s special teams, which have desperately needed an upgrade. Depending on Shaheed’s price, he could make sense for the Steelers. They need to do something to upgrade at wideout.
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