When Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald was asked on Oct. 27 about potential moves ahead of the trade deadline, he said, in part: “You know how John rolls.”
This was a reference to general manager John Schneider and his desire to be in on any potential move that could improve the team.
On Tuesday, Schneider made one of those moves. He acquired receiver Rashid Shaheed from the New Orleans Saints in exchange for fourth- and fifth-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. The move is pending a physical.
Sending the Saints two picks leaves Seattle with just four selections in 2026. The Seahawks have their own picks in the first three rounds and a sixth-round selection they received from the Cleveland Browns in the Nick Harris deal from 2024. The 2026 sixth-round pick Seattle sent to the Jacksonville Jaguars for defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris last season was its own selection, according to Over the Cap.
The last time the Seahawks were this low on capital was coming out of the 2020 season, which featured their most recent NFC West title. Because of trades to acquire safety Jamal Adams and defensive end Carlos Dunlap, the Seahawks exited that season with just four selections in the 2021 draft (in the second, fourth, fifth and seventh rounds).
That season is relevant because Seattle is currently 6-2 and leading the NFC West. The Athletic’s playoff simulator has the Seahawks with 90 percent odds of making the playoffs and a 33 percent chance to win the division. Only the Los Angeles Rams have a better outlook (94 percent playoffs, 50 percent division title). Seattle is in a good position to win its first division title in five years, with pivotal games against the Arizona Cardinals (3-5) and Rams (6-2) looming in Weeks 10 and 11.
Although the draft pick quality is not quite apples to apples, this year’s trade deadline is another instance of Schneider seeing a window and attempting to capitalize. And this time, he still has picks in the first three rounds.
On defense, Seattle notably chose not to deal cornerback Riq Woolen or outside linebacker Boye Mafe, two players in the final years of their contracts whom teams were reportedly interested in acquiring.
Woolen has seemingly fallen down the depth chart, theoretically making him more valuable to other clubs than to Seattle. But given all the injuries at cornerback this season — Josh Jobe is currently in concussion protocol — it makes sense the Seahawks kept a guy who Macdonald has said is elite when he’s locked in. Mafe is effectively the No. 4 edge rusher behind Uchenna Nwosu, DeMarcus Lawrence and Derick Hall, but moving the 2022 second-round pick would have left Seattle with little to no depth, barring a corresponding move to add an outside linebacker. Woolen and Mafe are slated to be free agents after this season.
The Shaheed acquisition is easy to rationalize as well. The team had just two healthy wide receivers on its active roster: Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tory Horton. Cooper Kupp (heel/hamstring), Jake Bobo (Achilles) and Dareke Young (quad) were all inactive Sunday night against the Washington Commanders. On the practice squad, Seattle has Cody White, who was elevated and had a 60-yard touchdown Sunday; seventh-round rookie Ricky White III, who made his season debut and played 12 offensive snaps; and undrafted rookies Tyrone Broden and Courtney Jackson.
The severity of those injuries is unclear. But time was of the essence because of Tuesday’s trade deadline. If Kupp, Young and Bobo must miss one or more games, Seattle has an experienced veteran in Shaheed who can not only step in as a pass catcher but also as a return specialist. Shaheed has a 29-yard kickoff return this year and is averaging 12.9 yards per punt return on 10 attempts. He has two career punt return touchdowns and was a first-team All-Pro return specialist in 2023. Horton is currently the team’s punt returner, and Young is among the league leaders in kickoff return average.
Shaheed, 27, and Horton (turns 23 this month) have similar skill sets. They’re good in the intermediate area of the field but especially dangerous stretching the field. When Seattle hired offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, the thought was to have DK Metcalf assume the deep-threat role Shaheed played in the scheme in 2024. Upon trading Metcalf in March, Seattle made a long-term investment in Kupp, a slot receiver, and took a flier on speedster Marquez Valdes-Scantling, another player who shined in Kubiak’s Saints offense in 2024. Valdes-Scantling didn’t make the team out of camp, largely because of the emergence of Horton.
.@RashidShaheed is bringing his deep ball threat to Seattle 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3izDbMykIf
— NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2025
If Kupp’s heel and hamstring are short-term problems, how will Seattle deploy all its weapons? The Seahawks have the fourth-lowest early-down pass rate in neutral situations, according to RBSDM.com. In other words, the Seahawks don’t throw the ball very often. And when they do, the ball typically goes to Smith-Njigba, who leads the league in target share (according to TruMedia). The rest of the pass catchers will likely have to maximize limited opportunities.
The long-term outlook is notable here as well. Shaheed’s contract expires after this season. Kupp is under contract through 2027 but has no guaranteed money remaining after this season. Of his $12.9 million base salary in 2026, $9 million becomes guaranteed in February, according to Over the Cap. Young and Cody White are on expiring contracts, and Bobo will be a restricted free agent this offseason. Seattle has a few months to determine whether it wants to move forward with a JSN-Shaheed-Horton receiver group in 2026 and beyond.
Smith-Njigba is extension-eligible after this season, but Schneider said this summer that one of the edicts from his bosses is to avoid extending players who are under contract for multiple seasons (this is presumably why left tackle Charles Cross wasn’t extended this past summer). Smith-Njigba would fall into that bucket if the Seahawks pick up his fifth-year option, meaning they wouldn’t enter contract negotiations with his representation until the spring of 2027 (cornerback Devon Witherspoon would be in the same situation).
The Shaheed trade introduces a scenario in which Seattle moves on from Kupp ahead of his age-33 season and redirects some of the savings to Shaheed, who turns 28 in August.
Shaheed’s experience with Kubiak also continues a trend of Seattle investing in players whom its current coaches can vouch for. Passing game coordinator Jake Peetz could speak to Kupp’s work ethic and leadership because they were together in Los Angeles. Defensive coordinator Aden Durde could do the same for veteran OLB DeMarcus Lawrence because of their time in Dallas. Kubiak knew Valdes-Scantling and veteran tight end Eric Saubert. The front office is responsible for talent evaluation, but that’s only one part of the equation. Personalities matter, and they must mesh with the rest of the locker room.
For now, Shaheed is a half-year rental. But if he’s a cultural fit (and produces on the field), he’d fall into the same category as guys like Marshawn Lynch, Duane Brown, Quandre Diggs, Carlos Dunlap, Leonard Williams and Ernest Jones IV. All those players were acquired during the season and ended up signing deals to stick around longer.
In the short term, Seattle’s already impressive offense is better today than it was before the deadline. Schneider isn’t available to the media during the season, but that’s likely how he would frame this deal. Improving the team is always a priority, and Shaheed undoubtedly does that.
It is rare that midseason trades drastically change a team’s fortunes in the same year. The Seahawks know this well. Acquiring Williams in 2023 and Jones in 2024 made those teams better, but other issues prevented Seattle from making the playoffs.
Seattle is attempting to avoid a similar fate this season. The defense is in very good shape despite injuries to the back seven. The problem with offense is the run game, but the Seahawks couldn’t find a move to upgrade there (The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported they were exploring offensive line additions).
So, Schneider opted to bolster an already strong passing unit, as Seattle aims to host a playoff game with fans in attendance for the first time since 2016 and return to the NFC title game for the first time since 2014.
