Rashid Shaheed began last season with the New Orleans Saints.
He ended it as a Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks.
For a talented player like Shaheed, it had to be a validating conclusion to a year that began with an inexperienced team that was winning a lot fewer games than they probably hoped.
It’s also a path that determined where Shaheed would play in this now-arrived 2026 NFL season.
It’s worth a quick revisit to remember how Shaheed got to Seattle and why it has all played out this way since.
Why Did Saints Trade Rashid Shaheed?
The most obvious and basic reason the Saints traded Shaheed was his contract.
He was in the final year of his deal, meaning he’d be a free agent at the end of the year.
By trading Shaheed, the Saints ensured they got value in return for him rather than losing him for nothing.
And since New Orleans didn’t believe it was competing for a deep playoff run, there wasn’t any value in keeping Shaheed to play out the string with the Saints.
What Did Saints Get For Shaheed?
The Saints got two draft picks from Seattle for Shaheed.
They were both in the 2026 NFL Draft, a fourth-round pick and a fifth-round pick.
The Saints ended up using those picks on Jeremiah Wright, an offensive guard from Auburn, and Lorenzo Styles Jr., a speedy defensive back and return man from Ohio State.
Rashid Shaheed From Saints to Seahawks
Shaheed was originally an undrafted player who the Saints discovered from Weber State and turned into an explosive NFL contributor.
In his three-plus seasons with the Saints, Shaheed appeared in 42 games, caught 138 passes for 2,055 yards, and found the end zone as a receiver 12 times.
Shaheed also ran 19 times for 128 yards and a touchdown with New Orleans.
In the return game, Shaheed had 804 punt return yards and two scores with the Saints, as well as 904 kick return yards.
Shaheed made an immediate impact as a returner for Seattle, including a 100-yard kickoff return TD and also a punt return score. He then returned a kick 95 yards to the house to open the NFC Divisional Round against the 49ers.
In nine games with the Seahawks, Shaheed also had 15 catches for 188 yards. He had just three catches in three playoff games for a total of 78 yards.
It’s not clear whether Seattle will use Shaheed quite as heavily as a receiver going forward after signing him to a new contract in the offseason, but it’s clear they value him as a returner — and wherever on the field Shaheed gets the football, he can cause the defense some serious trouble.
Why Saints Traded Rashid Shaheed to Seahawks