Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald indicated December 29 that the team plans to likely follow up with the NFL regarding the play on which Pro Bowl wide receiver/return man Rashid Shaheed was injured, while also acknowledging he has no firm update yet on Shaheed’s status heading into January 2’s showdown with the San Francisco 49ers.
Asked what he thought of the play Shaheed was hurt on, Macdonald didn’t dive into specifics. But he made it clear Seattle wants clarity from the league on what was — and wasn’t — called.
“I’ll just say that there’s some plays throughout the game that we’re going to follow up with,” Macdonald said. “It’s just trying to understand what’s getting called, what’s not, and why… We want to defend our guys and make sure that they’re not getting put in harm’s way.”
Key details
- Coach’s stance on the hit: Seahawks will “follow up” with the NFL on multiple plays, likely including the one Shaheed was hurt on.
- Shaheed status: Macdonald said he has no updates and no timetable right now.
- Why it matters: Shaheed impacts both the receiver rotation and the return game, a spot Seattle already had to patch together recently.
Mike Macdonald Hints Seahawks Will Send the Play to the League
Macdonald’s wording was careful, and that’s typical when coaches are trying to avoid turning officiating into a week-long sideshow. It’s also in an effort to protect their wallets and not draw any fines.
Still, the important part for Seattle fans is the signal: the Seahawks are not simply shrugging off the injury sequence as “part of football.” Macdonald’s comments suggested the team is going to press the league for an explanation on how the play was officiated and what the standards are going forward.
That matters even more with Seattle headed into a high-stakes matchup against a division rival, where every possession (and every special-teams rep) can swing the game.
Rashid Shaheed Concussion Update: “No Time Frames”
When asked directly about Shaheed’s situation, Macdonald said he doesn’t have anything concrete yet.
“I really don’t have any updates,” he said. “We just don’t have any update on time frames or anything like that… we’re really going to be playing that throughout the week.”
That puts Shaheed in the “true day-to-day” bucket as Seattle moves through a compressed practice week. In practical terms, the tells will be familiar: participation level (if any) midweek, any ramp-up later in the week, and whether the Seahawks have to plan for life without one of their most explosive open-field options.
What It Means for the Seahawks vs. the 49ers
If Shaheed can’t go, the ripple isn’t just at receiver. Macdonald already pointed to how quickly the return game can become an emergency when bodies go down, noting Cam Akers was asked to jump in with minimal reps after Seattle was suddenly missing return options.
In other words: Shaheed’s availability can affect field position, play-calling, and who’s active on game day.
Seattle’s offense has found ways to win games late — including leaning on the run game to close out wins — but losing an explosive return/receiver threat can remove one of the easiest ways to steal hidden yards, especially against a top opponent.
What to Watch Next
The next checkpoints are straightforward:
- Wednesday: First real practice look at who’s participating.
- End-of-week injury report: Whether Shaheed is trending toward playing, limited, or out.
- Any league response: If the NFL provides clarification (or not) on the play Seattle plans to review.
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