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(Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
The Seattle Seahawks have had to make tough decisions coming off their Super Bowl LVI-winning run. Nonetheless, they were able to keep a major piece from last season’s team, re-signing wide receiver Rashid Shaheed.
On March 9, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Seahawks and Shaheed had agreed to a three-year, $51 million deal with $34.7 million guaranteed.
As a result, the team keeps the wide receiver who can stretch the field and is dangerous in the return game. Shaheed, who was acquired in a midseason trade with the New Orleans Saints, scored three touchdowns on special teams.
Former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman was surprised the team was able to keep Shaheed, given that he expected the wideout to get a better deal since he was allowed to test the open market as a free agent.
“I love this move,” Sherman said in a March 13 video from “The Richard Sherman Podcast.” “I wasn’t sure this move would happen because of the guys that they have on the horizon to pay.
“I thought Shaheed’s market would be right where they paid him, about $17 million a year, but I wasn’t sure the Seahawks would be willing to make that move with everything they already have invested in that offense. They throw the money where the money is.”
Rashid Shaheed Could Get Bigger Role in 2026
Moreover, while Shaheed was a star for the Seahawks on special teams, Sherman now expects the player to be a key contributor on offense. The 27-year-old only had 15 catches for 188 yards, but the former defender sees Seattle looking to get the most out of the player, considering what they are paying him.
“When you’re paying a guy $17 million, you don’t just use him on special teams,“ Sherman added. “He’s not just a returner who’s changing the game in that way. I would expect his targets to look more like they did when he was in New Orleans. I would expect him to get at least two deep shots a game, just keeping the defense honest. That’s what I thought would happen when he first got to Seattle.
“I thought, ‘OK, they’re going to keep defenses honest.‘ They’re going to put one up just about every game. You saw it late in the season and in the NFC Championship and the Super Bowl. They did just that. If he’s used correctly, this offense becomes even more difficult to stop, especially in the run game.”
Seahawks GM Talks Keeping Rashid Shaheed
On March 12, Seahawks general manager John Schneider spoke about keeping Shaheed.
“Like Rashid, for instance, we thought that was going to be very difficult to get him back,“ Schneider said on Seattle Sports‘ “Wyman and Bob.”
“We just hung with it, hung with it, and he really wanted to be here. He loved his experience here. He loves everybody in the building, and we gave two draft picks for him. So that one was okay. That was hard, so we were able to stay in range with him…
“Every year is a little bit different when you’re planning and trying to place guys, their salary ranges and where you can and can’t go. Certain position groups just go through these different phases. There’s this ebb and flow of these salary ranges at every position every year. It’s very interesting.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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