When Rashid Shaheed was dealt from the New Orleans Saints to the Seattle Seahawks at the trade deadline, it looked like a career reset. The Saints were sitting at 2-8, going nowhere fast, while the Seahawks were 6-2 and trending upward.
For Shaheed, a dynamic receiver and return specialist, the move meant more than just a new jersey-it meant a shot at something he hadn’t tasted since entering the league in 2022: playoff football. Fast forward a few months, and now he’s preparing to play in the Super Bowl.
At media day on Thursday, Shaheed reflected on the trade and the shift in trajectory it sparked for him.
“I had a good idea that this team was going to be in competition-definitely a playoff team,” Shaheed said. “But now since I’ve been here and got a chance to be around this locker room, I can really see why this team is a Super Bowl team.”
You can see it in the way Seattle plays-gritty, fast, and opportunistic. And while Shaheed hasn’t found the end zone as a receiver in a Seahawks uniform just yet, he’s already made his mark. His 51-yard catch-and-run in the NFC Championship Game was a momentum-shifting play, the kind of explosive moment that justified Seattle parting with a fourth- and fifth-round pick to bring him in.
Midseason trades don’t always click right away, especially between a quarterback and a new receiver. Timing, trust, and rhythm all take time to build. But according to Shaheed, he and quarterback Sam Darnold found common ground fast.
“Sam is a true professional,” Shaheed said. “He approaches every game with the right mindset, and that’s how I come in with the same approach. So it didn’t take much time to build the timing and everything.
“He’s very good with his craft. He’s obviously played the position very well for a great amount of time, so we didn’t take long at all.”
That chemistry has shown up in key moments. One of the biggest came in a tight battle with the Colts, when Shaheed-fresh off a big kick return-reeled in back-to-back catches to put Seattle in field goal range. Jason Myers nailed the game-winner with under a minute to play, but it was Shaheed’s versatility that set the table.
Still, if you’re looking for the heartbeat of this Seahawks offense, look no further than Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The second-year wideout led the league in receiving yards despite playing in a low-volume passing attack-an impressive feat by any standard.
With the NFL Honors on the horizon, Smith-Njigba is in the running for Offensive Player of the Year. And in Shaheed’s eyes, there’s no debate.
“He should win it, he absolutely should win it,” Shaheed said. “Just give the man the trophy. He’s earned it, he’s proved that he’s the best-he’s the heartbeat of this team and we wouldn’t be here without him.”
Shaheed’s journey from a struggling Saints squad to the doorstep of a Super Bowl title is a reminder of how quickly things can change in this league. But it’s also a testament to what happens when talent meets opportunity in the right environment. And now, with the biggest game of the year just days away, Shaheed and the Seahawks have their sights set on finishing the story the right way.