Seahawks’ Rashid Shaheed Could be X-Factor in Unexpected Way Against 49ers in Week 5

Rashid Shaheed was a key weapon for the Seattle Seahawks in 2025. The team traded for the explosive receiver/returner at last year’s trade deadline, and he immediately made his presence felt.

Shaheed had one kick return and one punt return touchdown for the Seahawks in the regular season and then had another kick return score in the playoffs. The Seahawks then handed Shaheed a nice extension this offseason.

So far in 2026, though, Shaheed has been underwhelming. The receiver has just seven catches for 73 yards through four games, and he’s yet to score a return touchdown. In Week 4, Shaheed finally found the end zone, but it was a rushing score.

The Seahawks have had real problems at running back this season, so Shaheed got the chance to take some carries in Week 4. The veteran ended with two carries for 33 yards and one touchdown.

The Seahawks know Shaheed can contribute in multiple ways, so expect to see him in the backfield again in Week 5.

We know the Seahawks will be without Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price in Week 5, so creativity will be key. Emanuel Wilson has been serviceable, but the 49ers have an elite defense and will be prepared to stop the run.

Even if Shaheed doesn’t get a ton of carries, just having him on the field is enough to worry defenses, because you don’t know how he’ll be used.

“It’s a lot harder for guys to key on what we have planned,” Shaheed said. “They see us in the backfield and automatically think that something’s up. Anything can happen when a guy is in the backfield like me, Jax (Jaxon Smith-Njigba), or Coop (Cooper Kupp),” Shaheed explained.

Rushing is not new to Shaheed. The weapon has multiple rush attempts in each of his five seasons, but Week 4 was his first rushing score since his rookie campaign.

Sam Darnold compared Shaheed to Nick Emmanwori, who lines up in multiple spots on defense.

“He’s a weapon,” quarterback Sam Darnold said. “Like Nick (Emmanwori) on our defense, he’s a guy that you can put in a ton of spots and use in a lot of ways.”

For his part, offensive coordinator Brian Fleury says he’s going to keep using Shaheed in the backfield, while being mindful of the mental and physical load.

“You don’t want to put him in a situation where his durability becomes an issue,” Fleury said. “There is a little bit more of a collision aspect to playing in the backfield as opposed to playing out wide. You try to select plays that minimize the risk of that, which I think we’ve done a good job of.”

The Seahawks definitely need Shaheed to contribute, no matter how it happens. It’s nice to know the team has options despite being banged up.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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