The Seattle Seahawks would likely love to keep most of the team's impending free agents, including wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, whom the team traded for midway through the 2025 season. The positive part is that Shaheed seemingly hopes to stay in the Pacific Northwest, too.
In a recent discussion with Matt Lombardo on the Between the Hashmarks podcast, the wide receiver talked about his upcoming free agency. This will happen for the first time in Shaheed's career as he just finished the final season on his rookie deal. He is bound to get a huge pay increase no matter where he ends up, but hopefully, that's in Seattle.
Shaheed said, "I feel like the conversations are going to heat up a little bit and I’m excited for it all, man, I kinda hope to come back and run it back, of course...I would say for sure to be here in Seattle, I’m loving it. I love the organization, I love the city, love the fans. Getting accustomed to this place is nothing short of amazing, so I would not mind if I stayed at all."
Rashid Shaheed makes his stance on a return to the Seattle Seahawks painfully obvious
Neither would 12s. As all Seahawks fans saw, Shaheed is capable of changing the course of games and the season overall in a multitude of ways. He can catch, of course, and run deep routes, but his best value might be as a punt and kick returner. If not for his punt return for a touchdown in Week 16 against the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle might not have been the top seed in the NFC.
The receiver is also effervescent and good with fans. He has a quick smile, one that will help him be a fan favorite for many years to come.
According to Spotrac, Shaheed is projected to receive a new deal that pays him $14.1 million a season, and he is likely to receive a three-year deal somewhere. The Seahawks can afford that amount, as the team has $59 million to spend this offseason, a top-10 number.
The problem is that Rashid Shaheed is far from the only free agent the team would like to re-sign. Running back Kenneth Walker might be a priority, especially with backup Zach Charbonnet likely to miss the start of the 2026 season after tearing his ACL in the playoffs. Edge rusher Boye Mafe and safety Coby Bryant are two other players, of many, he would be good to bring back.
All the cap space is going to go fast. What makes Shaheed special is that he is able to help the Seattle Seahawks in multiple phases of the game. The team needs his explosiveness as a receiver, but needs his speed and football IQ on special teams. He also sounds like he wants to come back, so hopefully, general manager John Schneider will make that happen.