Rashid Shaheed
Getty
The Seattle Seahawks can expect a former coach to pursue Rashid Shaheed in free agency.
The Seattle Seahawks are already facing a problem with one of the surprise heroes of last season’s Super Bowl run, a problem brought to bear by a familiar source who is predicted to go after big-play wide receiver and dynamic return specialist Rashid Shaheed in 2026 NFL free agency.
It’s a prediction from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who is “expecting the Raiders to make a run at Rashid Shaheed depending on how the dominoes in the receiver market fall and the price point. New coach Klint Kubiak loves him. But Vegas’ bigger need is the offensive line.”
Last season’s offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak plundering his old team for some veteran riches would hardly be surprising. Yet the Seahawks will understandably be reluctant to lose Shaheed so soon, when they only traded for the ex-New Orleans Saints playmaker last November. When his game-breaking talents made a huge difference in clutch moments during their championship campaign.
Avoiding Shaheed making a quick exit may be too difficult for the Seahawks when they aren’t close to agreeing a new contract. Shaheed is also being linked with several potentially interested parties around the league.
Rashid Shaheed a Wanted Man
The Las Vegas Raiders aren’t the only team circling Shaheed, according to the rumor mill. There’s also interest from a rival within the NFC, and even from the Seahawks’ vanquished opponents in Super Bowl LX.
It makes sense there’s a growing queue of suitors for Shaheed when he can turn games in an instant in two phases. A great example was when his return skills got the Seahawks off to the perfect start against division rivals the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs.
This wasn’t the first time the Seahawks were grateful for the sudden-strike capability Shaheed brought to football’s third phase. His 58-yard punt return for a touchdown proved critical to the season-turning win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16.
Shaheed fulfilled a key role on special teams, but his greater value in Seattle could be as a wideout.
Seahawks Still Need Wide Receiver Help
Keeping together a competent and versatile supporting cast around go-to receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba should be a priority this offseason. General manager John Schneider would achieve it by finally agreeing a new deal with Shaheed.
The latter fills a niche role in the Seahawks’ passing game as a bona fide deep threat. A talent Shaheed used to burn the Rams in the NFC Championship Game.
Replicating Shaheed’s decisive contributions won’t be easy because few players can match his track speed and natural elusiveness. Perhaps 2025 NFL draft fifth-round pick Tory Horton can handle return duties once he’s healthy, but he’s already expected to miss spring work recovering from a shin injury.
Horton would face an uphill battle, even at 100 percent, to emulate Shaheed’s big-play flair as a receiver. So would veteran Cooper Kupp, who is making history, but he’s also firmly in the possession-style target stage of his career.
Winning the Super Bowl made it inevitable the Seahawks will be plundered during free agency, but Shaheed being among the likely exodus would sting more than most.