Horton (undisclosed) doesn’t have long-term injury

Destin echoes what ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler forecasted late in June. It’s nice to know that training camp performances have not altered expectations. Whether Shaheed can be more than a big-play-based FLEX option remains to be seen, but his ADP is hardly prohibitive. Stashing him on benches in Weeks 1-2 while monitoring his usage is a fairly low-risk move, though he is not a priority add.

When asked what issue is currently ailing Horton, Macdonald reportedly smiled and said, “sorry, I just don’t want to tell you.” It is unclear whether Horton experienced a setback in his return from a 2025 shin injury or if this is a new issue. The team does not have to release any information until Week 1 injury reports come out. At this point, Horton does not need to be drafted in 12-team leagues.

The Seahawks shut Horton down after trading for WR Rashid Shaheed last year, citing a new shin injury. The trade came as a surprise. He and Shaheed possess similar skill sets, and Horton had already set two franchise records, so replacing him in the lineup due to poor play did not add up. Apparently, Horton played through discomfort in his shin for five games until the pain led to imaging, revealing a crack in his shin. Horton attempted to avoid surgery, but it was ultimately deemed necessary in February 2026, delaying his return. Bell adds that the coaching staff is “excited and curious to unleash” Horton and Shaheed in the same formations, “challenging the deep coverage of defenses.” Stressing the defense vertically should open up the short-to-intermediate areas of the field as well. Shaheed will likely be the more reliable boom-bust FLEX and could even ascend to WR3 status, but it is nice to know that the coaching staff still views Horton positively after the surprising in-season trade last year.

Per The Tacoma News Tribune’s Gregg Bell, Horton is already “running smoothly” in his return from a November 2025 shin injury. That said, the Seahawks are still limiting his reps. Through the first two practices, he worked with QB Sam Darnold in group drills and fielded punts from P Michael Dickson before observing 11-on-11 drills. On Sunday, he spent time running routes with a trainer while his teammates ran 7-on-7s. Hopefully, the rest of his ramp-up period goes smoothly.

Shaheed reportedly had “major” performances throughout spring practices, hitting it off with QB Sam Darnold. Per Fowler, the Seahawks will continue to use WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba on PPR-friendly short and intermediate routes that helped him finish as the overall WR2 in total PPR scoring. But, rather than keeping Shaheed stuck in a field-stretching role, they plan to direct more short-to-intermediate stuff to Shaheed as well. Shaheed still has to go out and score more points this season, but this is the exact type of role change he needs to elevate above a frustratingly volatile fantasy profile.

Good. Many of us expected Shaheed to hit the ground running after the Seahawks traded for him last season, reuniting him with former OC Klint Kubiak. He posted an 18/266/0 receiving line from Weeks 10 through Super Bowl LX, yet the Seahawks re-signed him to a three-year, $51 million contract this offseason. The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar said he believes Shaheed’s deal “suggests a demotion” for WR Cooper Kupp. Shaheed possesses big-play ability. Putting him in the WR2 role is logical. It will be interesting to see how the team splits up reps between the two of them in training camp.

Back in May, Macdonald thought Horton would have a chance to return in time for the Seahawks’ three-day mandatory minicamp, which is currently underway. That will not happen. Macdonald said, “it’s still all positive,” when asked about Horton’s rehab. He just needs a little more time. Horton injured his shin in practice, early in November last year. The team waited until later in the month to move him to injured reserve, where he spent the remainder of the season. Horton’s skill set overlaps with WR Rashid Shaheed, who secured a big payday this offseason. It could be tough for Horton to earn reliable playing time this year.

Macdonald said there is a “chance” Horton could return at “the end of spring.” Horton suffered a shin injury towards the end of his rookie campaign last year, ending his rookie season early. The 23-year-old looks to compete with Rashid Shaheed for targets on offense, with both having similar skillsets. Horton finished the 2025 season with a 13/161/5 receiving line, also returning punts and scoring one touchdown as a returner. Macdonald mentioned that Horton received good news that could accelerate his return timeline and that we could see him on the field as early as the end of spring OTAs. It’s still early to tell what his role may be for the Seahawks in 2026, but Horton is worth a dart throw as a WR5 in fantasy drafts.

Kupp’s 2026 cap hit is $17.4 million, fourth-highest on the team behind Sam Darnold, Leonard Williams and Uchenna Nwosu. The Seahawks can’t clear much of it via a release, but they could trade him and save roughly $9.4 million if they found a taker. That sounds like a lot to ask. With a full season to implement Shaheed into the offense, we may just see Kupp become WR5 background noise for fantasy purposes.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the deal includes $34.7 million guaranteed. It’s vaguely surprising after the Seahawks struggled to unlock Shaheed on offense following his mid-season trade acquisition, but he remained a lethal weapon on special teams and there is frankly almost no way he struggles as much as a pass catcher again. Shaheed’s field-stretching perfectly complements Jaxon Smith-Njigiba’s all-around game, and JSN’s dominance means there will be ways to free up Shaheed 1-on-1. We suppose he is on the outside looking in of WR3 status for the time being, but Shaheed’s second year in Seattle could go much better than the first in fantasy.