Set to become more of a receiver in 2026, is Shaheed about to take his game to a new level in Seattle?
There have been some offensive changes for the Seattle Seahawks this offseason, with the big one being Brian Fleury taking over from Klint Kubiak as offensive coordinator.
But as we know, each year, an offense or defense can't stay the same; they have to evolve and add new things to keep rivals off balance.
Also, it means players stepping into different roles, or having an increased presence on either side of the ball, and that is where receiver/ special teams ace Rashid Shaheed comes in.
Having been a mid-season trade last year, Shaheed was more explosive in the return game than as a receiver, but under Fleury, he's set to be the No. 2 receiver behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and has been getting a lot of work this offseason.
He has shown he can be a key target for an offense before, and now he's trying to be a useful weapon for Sam Darnold.
And for fellow receiver Cody White, who was a guest on Seattle Sports' Bump and Stacy, Rashid has been superb in camp.
"It's been great,” White said. “Him coming in, it wasn't as hard for him, I guess I would say, because he had run that offense the year before with Klint, but just having him for a full year, seeing what the capabilities that he can do, and then it allows the offensive coordinator to be able to put him in certain spots where he knows that he can be successful.
“He's been great this whole offseason.”
Last season, it was the Smith-Njigba show, as No. 11 led all Seahawks in every key stat, and by a ridiculous margin, so it is clear the franchise knows that isn't sustainable moving forward.
Enter Shaheed. His blinding speed will mean defenses have to factor him in every time he's on the field, as on any play, it can be a home run. But having gotten a lot of work on short and intermediate routes in camp, it is also clear that getting the ball in Shaheed's hands and letting him pick up yards is part of the plan too.
How Fleury incorporates Rashid into the offense is going to be a fascinating watch as the offseason and regular season roll on, but he has a key role to play in 2026, maybe more as a receiver than a special teamer.
