Seattle Seahawks wide receiver and returner Rashid Shaheed has been named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after his 100-yard kickoff return touchdown in Sunday’s 37-9 win over the Atlanta Falcons, the NFL announced December 10.
The award comes on the heels of Shaheed breaking open a 6-6 game to start the second half in Atlanta, racing the length of the field for his first career kickoff return touchdown and the longest touchdown scored in the NFL this season.
Seahawks Get Huge Special Teams Boost With NFC Weekly Honor
Head coach Mike Macdonald reportedly challenged his team at halftime with a simple directive: return the kickoff and go score. Shaheed and the Seahawks’ return unit delivered exactly that, with key blocks springing him free down the sideline to flip the game instantly.
According to the team, the 100-yard return is the longest kick-return touchdown by a Seahawk since 2015 and the third-longest kickoff return touchdown in franchise history. It also stands as the longest touchdown by any player in the NFL so far this season.
Shaheed called the play the product of preparation as much as speed. Based on film study, Seattle expected to have a chance to hit a big return coming out of halftime, and the coaches “had the perfect calls” dialed up to attack Atlanta’s coverage.
The return did more than just earn a weekly award. It helped ignite a second-half surge in which Seattle outscored Atlanta 31-3, turned a tie game into a blowout and pushed the Seahawks to 10-3 on the season.
Shaheed’s honor continues a decorated stretch for Seattle’s specialists and playmakers. Earlier this year, Jaxon Smith-Njigba was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month for October, while kicker Jason Myers earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November, underscoring how many different ways the Seahawks can tilt a game.
What Rashid Shaheed’s Award Means for the Seahawks
For Seattle, Shaheed’s breakout moment and league recognition are about more than one highlight. The former New Orleans Saints All-Pro returner was brought in to add explosiveness to both the passing game and special teams, and Week 14 showed exactly why.
With a 100-yard score now on tape in a Seahawks uniform, opponents may have to rethink how they kick to Seattle. That can mean more short kicks, directional attempts or even squibs, all of which can hand the Seahawks better field position and make life easier for quarterback Sam Darnold and the offense.
Shaheed also gives Seattle another game-changing threat alongside Smith-Njigba and veteran receiver Cooper Kupp, who both factored into the offensive explosion in Atlanta. If defenses focus on limiting Seattle’s wideouts, special teams can still deliver devastating blows.
From a bigger-picture standpoint, the Seahawks are in the middle of a tight NFC playoff race. Any edge matters, and having a returner capable of flipping the scoreboard in a single snap is the type of weapon that can swing postseason seeding, or a playoff game itself.
Shaheed already had multiple return touchdowns earlier in his career with the Saints; now he has his first kick-return score with Seattle and his latest NFC award to show for it.
Stats, Schedule & Context for Seahawks After Falcons Win
- Week 14 result: Seahawks 37, Falcons 9 (road win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium).
- Key special teams play: Rashid Shaheed 100-yard kickoff return TD to open the second half, breaking a 6-6 tie.
- 2025 record: Seahawks improve to 10-3, winning for the seventh time in their last eight games.
- Next game: Week 15 matchup vs. the Indianapolis Colts, who sit at 8-5 and are likely turning to backup quarterback Riley Leonard or recently signed 44-year-old Philip Rivers because of injuries.
- Shaheed’s broader resume: Three career special-teams touchdowns overall and more than 2,000 return yards across his NFL career with the Saints and Seahawks.
With the offense heating up, the defense stringing together back-to-back weeks without allowing a touchdown, and now Shaheed drawing league-wide recognition on special teams, the Seahawks are finding different ways to win as the stretch run begins.
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