The Seattle Seahawks made sure Rashid Shaheed wasn’t going anywhere this offseason, and Pro Football Focus believes that decision helped preserve a sturdy NFL receiving groups.
PFF’s Gordon McGuinness highlighted Seattle’s pass catchers in an Aug. 18 feature examining every NFL team’s biggest reason for optimism entering the 2026 season.
McGuinness pointed specifically to Shaheed’s return alongside Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, writing that the Seahawks kept “one of the NFL’s best wide receiver trios intact.”
Seattle signed Shaheed to a multi-year contract in March after acquiring him during the 2025 season. His speed added an indispensable dimension to the offense and gave quarterback Sam Darnold a field-stretching target during the Seahawks’ Super Bowl run.
Shaheed Move Keeps WR Trio Together
GettySEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JANUARY 17: Rashid Shaheed #22 of the Seattle Seahawks returns the opening kickoff for a touchdown during the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lumen Field on January 17, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Smith-Njigba emerged as one of the NFL’s premier offensive weapons in his third season.
The reigning AP Offensive Player of the Year caught 119 passes for a league-leading 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns during the regular season. PFF ranked him second only to Puka Nacua in both yards per route run at 3.42 and receiving grade at 93.2.
Shaheed joins Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp atop a receiving corps that PFF described as one of the NFL’s best.
The outlet added additional statistic that speaks to the unit’s consistency: the trio combined for only eight drops on 268 catchable targets during the regular season and playoffs.
The Seahawks have more depth behind that group as well, including Tory Horton, who flashed as a rookie before a shin injury ended his season.
After reporting to training camp in July, Smith-Njigba said he was excited to take another step alongside quarterback Darnold and a receiving room that returns significant continuity.
“It’s really just Year 2 basically with my guys,” Smith-Njigba said, via Seahawks.com.
That continuity could make Seattle’s offense tougher to handle after the unit helped the Seahawks finish 14-3 and win Super Bowl LX last season.
Macdonald’s Defense Gives Seahawks Another Edge
GettySEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JANUARY 25: Head coach Mike MacDonald of the Seattle Seahawks looks on during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game at Lumen Field on January 25, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
PFF was equally encouraged by the defense, even after Seattle experienced some offseason turnover.
Twelve Seahawks defenders played at least 300 snaps and earned PFF grades above 70.0 last season, according to McGuinness. Ten of those players are back in 2026.
PFF believes that returning foundation, combined with Macdonald’s presence, should allow Seattle to stay among the league’s elite defenses.
The Seahawks finished the 2025 regular season with the NFL’s No. 1 scoring defense. Linebacker Ernest Jones IV said at the start of training camp that the defense had progressed from where it ended last season.
“We’re miles ahead,” Jones said, via Seahawks.com, adding that Macdonald was challenging the defense with new elements designed to create better matchups.
Continuity is critical for championship teams that often face roster churn, but the Seahawks kept a large portion of the unit and retain the coach who fashioned the scheme around it.
Along those lines, Seattle has a compelling setup with a title-worthy defense, in addition to Smith-Njigba coming off the best season of his career and Shaheed locked in long term.
All signs aim toward a strong Seahawks run in 2026.
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