There's no debating who's the number one wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks these days; Jaxon Smith-Njigba took on that challenge last season, clutched onto it, and never looked back. What was once thought to be DK Metcalf's destiny is now Smith-Njigba's, and his ceiling appears to be much higher than Metcalf's right now.
Smith-Njigba led the NFL in receiving yards (1,793) last year, hauling in 119 receptions (ranked fourth in the league) with 10 touchdowns. The Seahawks might not have expected a Calvin Johnson-esque season from Smith-Njigba right out of the gate (he was 171 yards shy of Johnson's 1,964 receiving yards record), but that's exactly what he gave them.Â
For the foreseeable future -- the next four years, at least -- Smith-Njigba will not have to look over his shoulder like Metcalf should have. That said, there is plenty of skill and experience behind Smith-Njigba. The question is: who is right behind him, Cooper Kupp or Rashid Shaheed?
Cooper Kupp and Rashid Shaheed could swap places in the Seattle Seahawks' WR depth chart
As it stands, and as listed on the Seahawks' website team depth chart, Kupp is the No. 2 pass catcher behind Smith-Njigba. He was there last season, and it makes sense he remains there, considering that his in-house rival, Rashid Shaheed, doubles as a wideout and a kick returner on special teams. That is, unless things change.Â
Rival is an applicable term in this context only because Shaheed has every chance to overtake Kupp as the Seahawks' secondary wide receiver. Kupp, who still carries a lot of fuel in the tank, is about to play in his 10th NFL season and has dealt with injuries, missing multiple games each of the past four seasons. That said, he missed only one game last season, his first in Seattle.Â
Not since Kupp's Super Bowl run with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 has he been fully healthy. The future Hall of Fame veteran isn't getting any younger, and depending on his health and how the Seahawks scheme their offense next season, Kupp could find himself surpassed by the much quicker, more versatile, and younger Shaheed.Â
Shaheed is expected to take on a larger role in the Seahawks' offense next season, which will evidently look quite different from the handful of games he played last season after coming over in a trade from the New Orleans Saints. Shaheed was effective on special teams immediately, but took a few games to get acclimated to the offense.Â
Once the playoffs came around, though, Shaheed was electric and came up clutch more than once for the Seahawks. His speed and downfield threat are so lethal that the Seahawks would be doing Shaheed an injustice not to involve him more, and if that means more than Kupp, it's the wise move to make.Â
For Kupp to hold onto his No. 2 spot behind Smith-Njigba, he'll have to stay on the field and produce more than 593 yards. Even still, there could be an unexpected position battle on the Seahawks involving two wide receivers in two different phases of their careers.
All that means is another exciting element to pile onto the anticipation Seahawks fans are sitting on as the 2026-27 season comes closer.Â
Add us as a preferred source on Google