Jaxson Smith-Njigba reacts as Seahawks acquire Rashid Shaheed from Saints ahead of trade deadline

The Seattle Seahawks are strengthening their injury-depleted wide receiver room by acquiring Rashid Shaheed from the New Orleans Saints in a trade on Tuesday. The Saints will be getting fourth and fifth-round picks in the 2026 NFL draft in exchange for the receiver.

The move, which was completed on the trade deadline, reunites the fourth-year wide receiver with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak in Seattle. Kubiak served as the Saints' offensive coordinator last season after replacing Pete Carmichael Jr., who spent 15 years in the role.

The arrival of Rashid Shaheed to the Seahawks was immediately welcomed by his teammate and fellow wide receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Following the reports of the trade deal, Smith-Njigba dropped an emoji reaction on X, showcasing his excitement at the arrival.

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With Cooper Kupp, Jake Bobo, and Dareke Young all currently sidelined with injuries, Shaheed provides the Seahawks with much-needed depth at receiver behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba. This season, he’s recorded 44 receptions for 499 yards and two touchdowns in nine games.

With Young’s injury, Rashid Shaheed will also be crucial for the Seahawks in returning punts and kickoffs, having gained extensive experience in them in New Orleans. In 2023, he earned Pro Bowl selection as a return specialist and was named a first-team AP All-Pro kick returner.

Analyst commends Seattle's acquisition of Rashid Shaheed

The acquisition of Rashid Shaheed by the Seahawks was graded highly by a host of NFL analysts following the report of the deal on Tuesday. Pete Prisco belongs to this bandwagon, and he outrightly commended the deal on CBS Sports.

“I think this is a great move for Seattle,” Prisco said. “Look, you look at their numbers, 9.6 per attempt for Sam Darnold, leads the league by far, and now you get another field stretcher? I mean, this is a really good move to add this to the offense. I was talking to a guy in the league the other day; he said, Seattle might be the best team in the league. “And now you get even more weapons for Sam Darnold to go on the outside? We know Smith-Njigba is having an unreal season. You know, Tory Horton is emerging as a player, and now you add Shahid to that group. I love what they've done, and this is actually a really good trade for the Seahawks.”

With Darnold at quarterback, the Seahawks have had one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL this season. They average 366.3 total yards per game and a net passing yards of 255.1 per game. A talent like Shaheed obviously brings a new dimension to the offense.

Edited by Farouk Yusuf