Rashid

Shaheed

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.

Boyd predicts (but doesn’t report) that Pierce will leave in free agency, and projects a quick pivot that would include Michael Pittman staying with the team and the Colts chasing another receiver to replace Pierce outside. Shaheed does fit the need for speed even if he doesn’t exactly have the contested-catch ability that Pierce leads with. Shaheed has already been linked to the Commanders, Bills, and Raiders this offseason — though the Bills have since traded for DJ Moore.

If the Commanders were to make such a move, though, Keim believes that “they’d still likely pursue another wideout to pair with Terry McLaurin.” Keim lists 49ers WR Jauan Jennings, Packers WR Romeo Doubs, Colts WR Alec Pierce and Seahawks WR Rashid Shaheed as potential options. Commanders general manager Adam Peters is expected to be very active next week.

Shaheed is expected to test the free agent market at the start of the new league year. The 27-year-old was acquired by the Super Bowl champions in the middle of the season, totaling a 15/188 line in nine regular season games and 3/78 in the playoffs with a kick return touchdown. Shaheed will receive interest as a deep ball receiver and return specialist; while a return to Seattle is still possible, the fact that the two sides were not close on an extension indicates Shaheed will have a new home for 2026.

The Bills can’t really afford to give out $25 million a year on an Alec Pierce deal, so it makes sense to see them connected to the top of the second tier of the free agent market. Either of these players being added would probably spell the end for Josh Palmer in the fantasy football landscape. Fowler adds that the Raiders have been linked to Shaheed, and that Doubs is a potential option for the 49ers.

Shaheed is set to enter free agency this offseason after spending a half-season with the Seahawks. The 27-year-old was traded from the Saints to Seattle at the trade deadline and tallied 15 receptions for 188 yards in nine games for the Seahawks, adding three receptions for 78 yards in the playoffs. He most notably was a return specialist for the team, returning a kick for a touchdown to open the Seahawks’ Divisional Round win over the 49ers. When asked if he would consider a return, Shaheed said, “I kind of want to run it back. We just won the Super Bowl, so, you know, why not?” Though his offensive role was minimalized in Seattle’s offense, Shaheed has value as deep threat and return specialist. Expect him to generate much interest during free agency in March.

Part of the offensive overhaul under Klint Kubiak will be to figure out how to fix last year’s wideout room, which ended the season with Tre Tucker and a dusty Tyler Lockett getting the majority of the snaps. Franchise-tagging Pierce could be in play for the Colts. Kubiak just spent half a season with Shaheed, so that pairing has some extra juice. (Though it should be noted Shaheed didn’t exactly thrive on offense with Kubiak.)

Shaheed also lost five yards on a rush and was bottled up on special teams. Thankfully, his X-factor play-making wasn’t needed with the defense truly dominating. One of the NFL’s premier big-play specialists, Shaheed came over in a mid-season trade from New Orleans, making exactly nine appearances for both the Seahawks and Saints. He was more productive on offense in Louisiana but remained a diabolical special teams weapon in the Great Northwest. Shaheed’s lack of offensive involvement for the ‘Hawks — he caught more than two passes twice in 12 games if you include the playoffs — was extremely curious, but likely a function of arriving mid-year in an attack that already had Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Headed for free agency as he prepares for his age-28 campaign, Shaheed will be a fascinating open market case, likely turning heads with his contract. Regardless of the deal and winning bidder, however, Shaheed is ultimately unlikely to become a consistent WR3 for 2026.

Sam Darnold dropped a 51-yard haymaker to Shaheed in the first quarter and his other two targets were incomplete but eventful. Cobie Durant knocked one of them out, and the other was a borderline uncalled DPI on the sideline late in the game. It’s hard to say that the Seahawks didn’t make the right move trading for Shaheed, but we’d love to see them actually integrate him more into the game plan than they have. Then again, hard to complain about much with that offense as things stand heading into Super Bowl LX.