Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer has been hearing some buzz from inside the Seattle Seahawks building, and it revolves around the fact the organization has sky-high expectations for Rashid Shaheed.

The soon-to-be sixth-year receiver is heading into his second season with the team, and first full season with Seattle overall. After serving primarily as a special teams weapon in 2025, Shaheed is positioned to take on a much larger role in the Seahawks’ passing attack. And honestly, when you look at this wide receiver room, it is a move they should definitely make.

What the Seahawks and Rashid Shaheed accomplished in 2025

Seattle had Shaheed for nine games last season, and his impact came mostly through the return game. He had fewer than 200 receiving yards with the team, simply because the offense didn’t need to lean on him as a pass catcher. The special teams production was excellent, but the receiving role stayed limited.

Now compare that to what he did with the Saints before the trade. In nine games (he didn’t have a bye week) with New Orleans, where he had a more expanded role at receiver, Shaheed put up nearly 500 yards receiving. The production is there when the opportunity is there. That’s not a question with Shaheed.

Why the opportunity is wide open

Everyone knows Seattle has maybe the best wide receiver in all of football in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who won Offensive Player of the Year last season. He’s the bonafide No. 1 option and is going to get the bulk of the targets, which should put him well over 1,000 yards again.

But after JSN, the room gets a little dicey. Cooper Kupp is getting older. He just turned 33 in June and only had 70 targets last season. Kupp is still a serviceable receiver who can work the slot, has great hands, and can run routes well, but he’s not really what he used to be athletically. The Seahawks need another pass catcher up in that 80-to-90-target range, and Shaheed can be the guy.

Breer’s reporting suggests they view him as a potential gadget guy like Deebo Samuel in his former 49er days. Think about that for a second. Shaheed has blazing speed, and you can get the football to him in so many different ways: jet sweeps, tap passes, the screen game, whatever it may be. That kind of versatility is exactly what this offense needs behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

The rest of the depth chart

Look, there are other names in this room. Tory Horton, the second-year receiver out of Colorado State who was drafted last year, showed some good stuff when healthy. He only played about half the season, but he was making plays when he was out there. Jake Bobo has been on the team for a few years now and can contribute when called upon, though he’s more of a special teams piece. And Seattle drafted rookie Emmanuel Henderson Jr. out of Kansas in the sixth round this year, but it’s fair to say that due to his draft position that he won’t contribute much in 2026.

When I go through those names, Shaheed is the obvious choice to be WR2. If it’s not him, it might be tight end AJ Barner soaking up targets (who may also have a huge season I might add). The point remains the same: Shaheed needs to get the football more in the offense because he has such a unique skill set in terms of his speed, athleticism, and what he can do with the ball in his hands. That is a lot less common in the NFL than you may think.

The prediction for Rashid Shaheed in the Seahawks offense

I’m expecting a big year from Rasheed Shaheed. I think he lands somewhere in that 700-to-900-yard range as the clear No. 2 option in Seattle’s passing game. The Seahawks clearly see it too, and if the Deebo Samuel or gadget guy comparison is what they’re building toward, this offense should definitely be more dangerous than it was a year ago in their Super Bowl run.