Seahawks beat writer Gregg Bell writes that QB Sam Darnold and WR Rashid Shaheed have a "rapidly improving connection."
What They're Saying
After Monday’s practice, HC Mike Macdonald reacted to Shaheed scoring on a deep ball.
“Yeah, it was good we got it thrown over our head, finally," he said via The News Tribune. "So that was a good wake-up call for us on defense. But that’s definitely a point of emphasis after this first week, is trying to get ‘Sheed’ the ball in some of those deeper targets.”
Macdonald also highlighted the difference between the 2025 version of Shaheed, who joined Seattle midseason, and the current one, who spent extra time working with Darnold before training camp.
“There’s way more banked reps underneath (their) belts,” Macdonald said. “I think both guys are in a really good place.”
“Again, a challenge of this camp is: How far can we take it?” Macdonald said. “How far can we take that relationship? How far can we take his route tree? How great of timing can we create with those two?”
2026 Fantasy Football Impact: Shaheed Brings Sleeper Appeal
Seattle’s high expectations were clear after they signed the former Saint to a three-year, $51 million deal in March.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba remains the clear lead target, but there’s room for Shaheed to push for a target share in the 16-18% range and gain value as a spot-start WR3/flex.
His downfield role makes him an ideal fit for best ball, but he’s a fine stash in any format. Shaheed made our list of fantasy football sleepers.
Projected ADP Movement: Nowhere to Go But Up
Shaheed registers a 12-team ESPN ADP in Round 13, making him an easy click in drafts.
The building hype might push Shaheed a bit higher, but it's hard to see him getting to an undraftable range.
