In a championship season chock full of big plays, there may have been none bigger than the one that happened midway through the 4th quarter in the Seattle Seahawks' week 16 game against the L.A. Rams. Trailing by 16 points, with the hopes of the top seed in the NFC hanging by a thread, Rams' punter Ethan Evans kicked from deep in his own territory.
Rashid Shaheed, who had been acquired by general manager John Schneider via trade less than two months earlier, fielded the kick on his own 42-yard line, broke left behind a sensational double team block, and exploded through the Rams' coverage, tight-roping down the left sideline for a touchdown.
The play immediately shifted the momentum at Lumen Field. Seattle would complete the improbable comeback in overtime and be well on their way to homefield advantage through the playoffs and a Super Bowl win.
It seemed at the time that Schneider had pulled off the deal of the century. Now, with free agency looming, it appears that Shaheed’s glorious visit in the Northwest may be coming to an abrupt end.
Will the Seattle Seahawks lose their late season hero to free agency?
Shaheed is one of several high-profile free agents the Seahawks may lose this offseason. SI.com writers Gilberto Mazano and Matt Verderame recently predicted likely landing spots for the top 50 UFAs this year. Shaheed, ranked 20 on the SI.com list, was predicted to sign with either Buffalo or the Los Angeles Chargers.
The former New Orleans Saints Pro Bowler is expected to get a two-year deal in the neighborhood of 30 million dollars. Seattle is in a fairly good salary cap position and could make a competitive offer. But GM John Schneider may have bigger priorities.
Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III will get a lot of attention – Mazano and Verderame predict a bidding war between Seattle and the Giants for the running back’s services.
And three of Seattle’s vaunted secondary – cornerbacks Josh Jobe and Riq Woolen, along with safety Coby Bryant - are also pending UFAs. Schneider will not be able to re-sign everyone.
The Chargers, in particular, have a lot of cap space and are desperate to provide quarterback Justin Herbert with more weapons on the outside.
As difficult as it is to acknowledge, Schneider would be wise to avoid a bidding war for Shaheed. He was a godsend this season, arriving just as Seattle lost rookie receiver/returner Tory Horton for the year. Horton was coming off one of his best games, scoring two touchdowns in an easy win over Washington in week nine, when he was stopped by an injury to his knee and shin.
Schneider was able to acquire the explosive receiver/returner in exchange for a couple of day three draft picks. Shaheed paid off with three touchdown returns, including one in the playoffs against San Francisco. In the NFC championship game, the Rams refused to kick to him, which provided Seattle with advantageous field position throughout the razor-close game.
Given how valuable Shaheed clearly was in the second half of the season, why wouldn’t Schneider prioritize re-signing him? Horton’s slow recovery from leg surgery would seem to make it even more essential.
The problem is, Shaheed really did very little for Seattle’s offense. In nine games, he caught just 15 passes on 26 targets. Though he did occasionally stretch the field, he was not able to do it consistently, averaging just 12.5 yards per catch and failing to find the end zone on a reception.
Seattle tried him on some running plays, and he did break one for a big gain. But he still only managed a total of 64 yards and again, did not find the end zone. He essentially maintained that pace in the playoffs, though he did create one splash play against the Rams as a receiver.
Basically, Rashid Shaheed was indeed crucial to the Seahawks, but not because of anything he did as a receiver or runner. His value came almost entirely from his return game.
That is why, as much as he might like to hold onto such a dangerous weapon, John Schneider cannot pay 30 million. He needs to find Sam Darnold more consistent outside receivers to pair with Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Rashid Shaheed is always going to hold a special place in the memories of Seahawks fans for his spectacular efforts as a returner in the second half of 2025. It’s beginning to look like that will have to be enough. He is going to get his chance to prove he can be a productive receiver, most likely with a different team, while Seattle moves forward with JSN, Cooper Kupp, and hopefully a fully-healed Tory Horton.
But wherever Shaheed winds up, he will always be a Super Bowl champion.