Rashid Shaheed

Rashid Khalil Shaheed (born August 31, 1998) is an American professional football wide receiver and return specialist for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Weber State Wildcats and signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2022. Midway through the 2025 season, the Saints traded Shaheed to the Seahawks, where he won Super Bowl LX.

Early life

Shaheed grew up in a family of track and field athletes; his father Haneef was a sprinter at Arizona State University, and his mother Cossandra ran the 400 meter hurdles at the University of San Diego. Shaheed, along with his sisters Aysha and Amirah, followed in their footsteps, posting competitive results in track events, while Shaheed convinced his parents to also allow him to play football.

Shaheed attended Mt. Carmel High School in San Diego, California from 2013 to 2016, where he played receiver and running back, producing 3,748 total yards and 24 touchdowns, while winning San Diego section titles in the 200m and 400m. Shaheed initially planned to attend the University of Southern California on a track and field scholarship, but eventually settled on pursuing his true passion of football, committing to Weber State.

College career

Shaheed played college football for the Weber State Wildcats from 2017 to 2021. The only player in school history to earn All-American honors four times, Shaheed set the FCS all-time record for career kickoff return touchdowns with seven, and had a 100-yard return in Weber State's 2021 win over Northern Arizona.

He finished his career at Weber State with 5,478 all-purpose yards, ranked as the third most in Weber State history. He ended up seventh in career receiving yards with 2,178 yards and 18 touchdowns at Weber State, and 10th in school history for career receptions with 147. He had a remarkable kick return average of 29.1 yards per return, and also finished third in career punt return yardage.

Professional career

New Orleans Saints

On May 2, 2022, Shaheed signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent. On August 30, Shaheed was released by the Saints; he was re-signed to the team's practice squad the next day. October 15, Shaheed was signed to the Saints' active roster. On October 16, in his NFL debut, he had a 44-yard rushing touchdown on his first career touch. On October 20 against the Arizona Cardinals, in his second career game, he caught a 53-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Andy Dalton. The reception was his first career catch and only his second offensive touch. As a rookie, he finished with 28 receptions for 488 yards and two receiving touchdowns to go with a rushing touchdown.

Shaheed started his career wearing number 89 but switched to 22 before the 2023 season. In Week 8 against the Indianapolis Colts, Shaheed enjoyed a career game, hauling in three receptions for 153 yards and a touchdown in the 38–27 victory. He finished the 2023 season with 46 receptions for 719 yards and five touchdowns.

On January 3, 2024, it was announced that Shaheed was selected to play in the 2024 Pro Bowl Games in Orlando, Florida. He was tendered by the Saints as an Exclusive Rights free agent in March – worth the NFL minimum salary – where he could not negotiate with other teams as a result of being undrafted and with less than three years of experience. Shaheed will be eligible for a contract extension in 2025. However, on July 20, Shaheed and the Saints agreed to a one–year, $5.2 million contract extension. On October 17, Shaheed was placed on injured reserve after he underwent season-ending knee surgery to repair his meniscus; prior to the injury, he led the league with 15.9 yards per punt return. He finished with 20 receptions for 349 yards and five touchdowns.

On October 5, 2025, Shaheed scored a career-long 87-yard touchdown reception from Spencer Rattler in a 26–14 victory over the New York Giants. In nine starts for New Orleans, he recorded 44 receptions for 499 yards and two touchdowns, paired with two rush attempts for five yards.

Seattle Seahawks

On November 4, 2025, Shaheed was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for 2026 fourth and fifth-round picks. In Week 14 against the Atlanta Falcons, Shaheed returned the second-half opening kickoff for a 100-yard touchdown, and was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance. In Week 16 against the Los Angeles Rams, Shaheed returned a 58-yard punt for a touchdown in the 38–37 comeback win in overtime. It was announced on December 23 that Shaheed had made his second Pro Bowl as a kick returner. In the 2025 season, he had 59 receptions for 687 yards and two touchdowns to go with a kick return touchdown and a punt return touchdown combined with his time with the Saints.

On January 17, 2026, Shaheed returned the opening kickoff in a Divisional Round playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers for a touchdown in a 41–6 blowout victory. On February 8, Shaheed caught two passes for 27 yards in Super Bowl LX, in which the Seahawks won 29–13.

On March 11, 2026, Shaheed signed a three-year, $51 million contract extension to stay with the Seahawks.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Postseason

Notes

External links

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