Saints WR Shaheed’s big-play ability blossoming in Year 2
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Field Yates lays out the scenario in which fantasy managers should start Rashid Shaheed. (0:49)
METAIRIE, La. — Sometimes less is more.
That’s the case for New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, whose 23 catches ranks fourth on the team. Shaheed’s 20.8 yards per catch, however, leads the NFL and almost doubles the average yardage of the Saints’ leaders in receptions — wideouts Chris Olave (11.8) and Michael Thomas (11.6).
“That boy is good,” Olave said. “Ain’t nobody like him. I mean, he’s so fast, so quick and he can run routes too. I’m excited for his future. He’s a special player. I know he don’t get too many opportunities like me and Mike. But the opportunities he gets, he always takes advantage of them. I’m proud of him.”
The Saints (4-4) knew that the 25-year-old Shaheed came into the NFL last year as a work in progress. He had torn his ACL in his final game of his college career at Weber State, and although Shaheed didn’t draw enough attention to get drafted, the Saints were already envisioning him as a potential kick returner in the mold of former Saint Deonte Harty, who was an All-Pro returner as an undrafted rookie in 2019.
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Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, who had been part of the team scouting him since the spring of 2021, and the team “had a vision” for Shaheed.
“Give our front office credit,” Rizzi said. “Sometimes it’s hard to go ahead and make a commitment to a guy that’s not going to be able to practice during OTAs … [and] mandatory minicamp. So you’re using a roster spot for a guy that’s not there. … There’s a lot of people in the building that were frustrated. He wasn’t practicing … he’s doing rehab. But obviously that all worked itself out.”
Shaheed, who set an FCS record at the time with seven kickoff returns for touchdowns, became one of three players through the first eight weeks of the season to return a punt (76 yards) for a touchdown.
“He was a dynamic returner at the level he was at,” Rizzi said, “and you’re always wondering if that transfers.
“I have the expression that, if you have that many return touchdowns, I don’t care what level you’re playing at … it usually translates into this level.”
Rizzi said the Saints initially thought Shaheed could fill the returner role and maybe come in as a fourth or fifth receiver. But Shaheed, who had his first catch in Week 7 last year after being signed off the practice squad, took his opportunity and ran with it.
He averaged 17.7 yards per catch last season and hasn’t looked back. Saints quarterback Derek Carr joked that Shaheed’s impressive speed can make his throws look good.
“The post I threw him, when I threw it, I was like ‘Oh shoot, I overthrew it,'” Carr said. “And then it just hit him in stride. Everyone was like ‘Great throw!’ I was like ‘Yeah, alright, yeah.’ He went and got that one. I’ve had guys … where there’s a different level of ‘oomph’ you can put on the football and trust they can get there.
“He’s one of those guys where you can let one rip and pretty much trust every time he’s going to be there.”
Shaheed came into the season with the intent of becoming a well-rounded receiver. That’s already paid off statistically, as he has 479 yards and three receiving touchdowns, almost surpassing his rookie total of 28 receptions for 488 yards and two touchdowns.
“He definitely had some big plays. … I want him to keep working, but I want him to work on those things he’s really good at too,” Carr said. “He’s shown [an ability] to make the big plays, but he’s also been someone throughout the season to show he can run the routes, he can get in and out of breaks, he can make the tough catches, the contested catches.”
Shaheed has already drawn attention for becoming the “big play” wideout. His six catches of 40 or more yards ranks only behind Tyreek Hill (seven) and is twice as many as the next closest behind him.
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Shaheed had a 41-yard catch to seal a win against the Tennessee Titans in the opener, and he had a 44-yard catch from Taysom Hill late against the Indianapolis Colts last week where he had to keep a steady hold on the ball to fend off a defender on the way to the ground.
His 58-yard, highlight-reel touchdown against the Colts was also the longest play from scrimmage for the Saints this season.
“He’s a guy that can run that fast and still find the ball and go get to it,” Carr said. “The one Taysom threw him, the ability to be running that fast, stop, come back and make a play on the ball, that’s really difficult to do.”
According to Saints coach Dennis Allen, Shaheed is nowhere near his ceiling yet.
“I think there’s still a lot of meat left on the bone in terms of what we need to be able to do and what he can do,” Allen said. “Obviously his explosiveness down the field is probably his biggest trait.
“I think it’s all the little bitty intricacies and the little bitty details that he’s still got to improve on, but his speed and explosiveness makes him really difficult to cover.”
The Saints are set to host the Chicago Bears (2-6) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS) as they attempt to get back in on the winning side of .500 and win back-to-back games for the second time this season.