There’s been little to nitpick the Seattle Seahawks on so far this season. Most fan bases would emphatically trade for an 8-3 record, the third-best scoring margin in the NFL, and the chance to marvel at Jaxon Smith-Njigba every Sunday. That said, frustration has been slowly mounting around one player in particular over the past few weeks, and it’s led fans to question the team’s decision-making.
The player in question isn’t Sam Darnold, who posted an abysmal four-interception game two weeks ago. Nor Riq Woolen, who was at the center of trade speculation early in the season due to poor play. It’s not even Anthony Bradford, who routinely goes viral in Seahawks’ circles for bewildering plays in which he looks completely lost on the field.
Instead, the player inciting frustration is the newest member of the Seahawks, Rashid Shaheed. Except, the frustration isn’t his fault.
Shaheed’s Underutilization
Shaheed posted a goose egg in yesterday’s 30-24 victory over the Tennessee Titans. The lightning-quick receiver had zero catches on just two targets. While he’s getting work as a returner, his lone offensive touch was a rushing attempt that went for five yards. It was another quiet performance in an underwhelming start to Shaheed’s tenure in Seattle, and fans have started to notice.
In three games with the Seahawks, Shaheed has three catches for 30 receiving yards on eight targets. He’s playing around 50% of the snaps for the team, which puts him third in line behind Smith-Njigba (naturally) and Cooper Kupp. Over that same stretch, Kupp has seen nearly double the passing volume, hauling in seven catches for 121 yards on 13 targets.
Granted, Darnold narrowly missed Shaheed for a 25-yard touchdown connection in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Rams. That one reception would have made Shaheed’s stat line much more palatable.
Shaheed’s usage should increase as the season progresses. Before Shaheed’s first game with the Seahawks, head coach Mike Macdonald said it could take some time “getting the receiver up to speed,” per NBC Sports. But after three games, fans are voicing frustration that Shaheed isn’t being used more in the offense, especially after the mid-season trade to acquire him.
Reviewing the Shaheed Trade
The Seahawks traded two draft picks, fourth and fifth rounders in 2026, to acquire Shaheed from the New Orleans Saints. The deadline-day move brought a lot of hype. The Seahawks were 6-2 at the time and in first place in the NFC West. The prospect of adding the speedy Shaheed to the mix had some fans preemptively nicknaming the squad “The Legion of Zoom.”
“I feel like there’s a lot of wide-open opportunities (in the offense),” Shaheed told FOX13 Seattle after the trade. “I would get into a lot of play action and stuff like that, so I could stretch the field vertically. I feel like I could bring that into this offense. Any type of explosiveness, I’m all here for it.”
The 27-year-old receiver even voiced a desire to sign a long-term deal with the team. “I’m here to stay, man. We can figure something out after the season ends,” he said.
The experience hasn’t lived up to expectations. At least, not yet. Even though the Seahawks are 2-1 in Shaheed’s three games, fans are hoping for a greater return on investment after using two mid-round draft picks on a player who clearly has talent. Shaheed will look to get more involved in Week 13, as the Seahawks take on the Minnesota Vikings (4-7) at Lumen Field.
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