Is three years and as much as $51 million too much for Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed? General manager John Schneider doesn't think so, and he has proven his opinion is more valuable than many others. Seattle is bringing Shaheed back for that previously reported amount.
The key is that Shaheed can help in lots of different ways, both as a receiver and a kick and punt returner. He will change the narrative of seasons with his ability. He's shown that ability. Just ask the Super Bowl-winning Seahawks.
But Shaheed, beyond his ability to return kicks on special teams, can beat defenses deep with his speed. He almost did so against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX. He will do so in the future. And he is just a cog in the machine.
Rashid Shaheed's return gives the Seattle Seahawks an explosive wide receiver group in 2026 and beyond
Shaheed will play opposite Jaxon Smith-Njigba in what could be one of the more explosive receiver groups in the NFL. JSN is, of course, among the best wideouts in the NFL, but he can't be successful alone. Veteran Cooper Kupp is solid, but no longer going to win a lot of post patterns, and that's fine. His ability to work underneath is crucial.
And it isn't just Shaheed that can get past another team's secondary. Tory Horton can too, and Horton might be the forgotten piece in the Shaheed puzzle. He does a lot of the same things as Shaheed, though at a less-proven rate.
One can easily forget that before Horton injured his shin halfway through this past season, he had six total touchdowns, and one of those was a punt return. Should he stay healthy for a long time, which is, admittedly, still in doubt, having him, Shaheed, and Smith-Njigba on the field at the same time is going to be too much for many defenses.
John Schneider knows this, and that is key. He is the only general manager in league history to have been the GM for two Super Bowl-winning teams, but each team had a completely different roster. He knows what he is doing, and he understands what he is doing in having Rashid Shaheed re-sign for $17 million a season.
Some national pundits don't know Shaheed's true value, but Schneider does, and Seattle Seahawks fans do. That is what really matters, and lifting a trophy at the end of Super Bowl LX proves that.