Rashid Shaheed
Getty
Pro Football Focus's Zoltán Buday argued the Seattle Seahawks overpaid to keep wide receiver Rashid Shaheed.
The Seattle Seahawks were careful not to overpay for a running back this offseason. As a result, the team lost Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker to NFL free agency. But the Seahawks opened their wallet for wide receiver Rashid Shaheed.
Seattle inked Shaheed to a 3-year, $51 million deal in NFL free agency to keep the wideout and returner in the Pacific Northwest.
Pro Football Focus’s Zoltán Buday called the contract his “least favorite” NFL free agency move from the Seahawks during the 2026 offseason.
“The Seahawks made Shaheed the 27th-highest-paid wide receiver after they traded for him during the 2025 season,” Buday wrote. “However, if Shaheed’s role does not increase, then this is an overpay for a situational player who offers more on special teams.
“Shaheed saw more than five targets in just one out of his 12 games with the Seahawks this past season, and he tallied fewer than 30 receiving yards in five of his last six games.”
In nine regular season games with the Seahawks, Shaheed had 15 catches and 188 receiving yards. He also caught three passes for 78 yards during three playoff games.
To Buday’s point, Shaheed made his biggest impact on special teams. He returned 13 punts for 210 yards and a touchdown in nine regular season games. Shaheed also had a kickoff return touchdown for Seattle.
The punt return touchdown came in a critical comeback victory against the Los Angeles Rams during Week 16.
Shaheed also returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the NFC divisional round versus the San Francisco 49ers.
Did Seahawks Overpay to Keep WR Rashid Shaheed?
Rashid Shaheed
GettyPro Football Focus’s Zoltán Buday argued the Seattle Seahawks overpaid to keep wide receiver Rashid Shaheed.
Whether one considers Seattle’s new contract for Shaheed an overpay likely depends on perspective.
In today’s bloated wide receiver market, Shaheed’s $51 million total value contract doesn’t rank in the top 25 among NFL wideouts. On an average annual basis, Shaheed’s $17 million per season sits at No. 27 among receivers.
Essentially, that means to be worth that deal, Shaheed needs to provide WR2 value behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is the league’s new highest-paid wideout.
If Shaheed was only a receiver, then he wouldn’t be worth high-end WR2 money. He averaged under two catches and 20.9 yards per game with the Seahawks last season.
But Shaheed’s contributions in the return game are priceless on the field. That makes determining the overall value of his contract complication.
It’s also not as if Shaheed can’t provide more in the receiving game than he did for Seattle last season. During 2023, he had 46 catches, 719 receiving yards and five touchdowns for the New Orleans Saints.
The Seahawks acquired Shaheed from the Saints at the NFL trade deadline. The easiest way for him to contribute immediately was in the return game. That didn’t require learning a new playbook in the middle of the season.
Following a full offseason, Shaheed might be better equipped to be a weapon for Sam Darnold and the Seahawks offense.
If that’s the case, the Seahawks will have a dual-threat playmaker in Shaheed. It’s hard to put a price on that.
Signing RB Emanuel Wilson Called ‘Favorite’ Seahawks Free Agency Move
Emanuel Wilson
GettyThe Seattle Seahawks signed Emanuel Wilson to a 1-year contract in NFL free agency.
While Buday didn’t like the Seahawks keeping Shaheed, he did see value in what the team did at running back.
The big decision the Seahawks made in its backfield was allow Walker to leave in free agency. Then, they signed former Green Bay Packers backup running back Emanuel Wilson.
“While Wilson does not offer much in the passing game, he is among the better pure runners in the NFL, highlighted by his 73.9 PFF rushing grade in 2025,” Buday wrote. “He also earned an 82.9 PFF overall grade in 2024. In the absence of Charbonnet early in the season, Wilson might be the cheapest starting running back in the league.”
The Seahawks signed Wilson to a 1-year, $1.595 million contract.
Wilson, though, isn’t guaranteed to enter the season as the team’s starter. The Seahawks hosted veteran Najee Harris for a visit in March.
While Harris left without a contract, pundits have still linked the running back to the Seahawks.
On Thursday, ESPN predicted the Seahawks to select Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. in the third round.
Harris and Washington aren’t guaranteed be starters either. But Seattle adding one of them would likely cut into Wilson’s playing time.