The Seattle Seahawks made a move to upgrade their wide receiver room, acquiring Rashid Shaheed from the New Orleans Saints ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, the teams announced. The Saints will receive 2026 fourth- and fifth-round picks in return.
Shaheed, in his fourth NFL season, already has a career-high 499 receiving yards and his 44 receptions are two away from a career high. The 27-year-old entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and a year later was a Pro Bowl selection and first-team All-Pro as a punt returner.
The Seahawks already had a top-10 offense with one of the league’s most efficient passing attacks. Now they are adding a young speedster who should be a natural fit with quarterback Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the league’s leading receiver. Shaheed played under offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak last year in New Orleans and was on pace for just shy of 1,000 yards before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
The Seahawks currently have the league’s best wideout in Smith-Njigba, but their No. 2 spot took a hit when 32-year-old receiver Cooper Kupp entered last week with a heel issue, then suffered a hamstring injury in Thursday’s practice. Kupp was inactive Sunday against the Washington Commanders. Seattle won 38-14 behind two touchdowns from fifth-round rookie wide receiver Tory Horton, who had four catches for 48 yards in his first game as WR2. Seattle receiver Cody White, called up from the practice squad, also had a 60-yard touchdown.
The acquisition of Shaheed suggests Kupp might miss at least one more game, if not more. The trade also bolsters Seattle’s depth, which took a hit last week. Jake Bobo missed Sunday’s game with an Achilles injury and Dareke Young sat out with a quad injury sustained in Week 7. Seattle’s only other healthy receivers are practice-squad players.
This trade leaves Seattle low on 2026 draft capital. After sending away two draft choices for Shaheed, Seattle has selections in the first three rounds but is not scheduled to pick again until the sixth round. The Seahawks do not have a seventh-round pick in 2026.
Fit is just as important as talent when it comes to player acquisition. Seattle general manager John Schneider has been burned in the past by focusing more on the latter than the former, and as a result, he has acquired players either via trade or free agency who weren’t good fits inside the building. Shaheed’s contract expires after this season. The familiarity with Kubiak’s system will help with the on-field part, but these next few months will be about learning Shaheed the person and whether he’s a long-term fit in Seattle.
For now, the Seahawks will pay Shaheed the remainder of his $4.2 million base salary.
Like Shaheed, Young and White are scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency in March, while Bobo will be a restricted free agent.
Fantasy outlook for Seattle and New Orleans
Shaheed and Horton, SEA — With Shaheed arriving, Horton likely has one week left of value, and that’s only if Kupp remains sidelined. Shaheed will step in as the No. 2 once he’s fully up to speed, pushing Horton back to the No. 3 role, or even No. 4, again depending on Kupp. Shaheed sees a slight uptick to low-end WR3 value if/when Kupp is out. With Kupp in the lineup, Shaheed would be a pure WR4 with more volatility.
Devaughn Vele, NO — Brandin Cooks is technically next up with Shaheed gone, but the Saints traded for Vele this preseason, which included a fourth rounder. Vele can replace and replicate what Shaheed did. The risk is obvious, but Vele could surprise with WR4/5 boom/bust value if the Saints let him step into the Shaheed void. — Jake Ciely, senior fantasy writer
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