Why Ryan Clark believes Rashid Shaheed will be a ‘game-changer’ for Seahawks
Ryan Clark has high remarks on the Seattle Seahawks’ ceiling after they landed wide receiver Rashid Shaheed from the New Orleans Saints.
The Seahawks acquired Shaheed from the Saints on Nov. 4, getting him in exchange for two 2026 draft picks. They add a lethal receiver who has a knack for making big catches for plenty of yardage, providing more explosiveness to the offense.
Clark gave his thoughts on the addition during a Friday segment of NFL on ESPN. He described it as a huge move, believing that Seattle will be harder to contain with its receivers in Shaheed and star Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
“I believe this is huge. Rashid Shaheed and Klint Kubiak’s offense early on was absolutely dynamic, the way he could take the top off of a defense, and that level of explosive passing was out of this world, the way that Sam Donald is throwing the ball, the way that Jackson Smith-Njigba is absolutely uncoverable this year. This could be an added piece to give explosiveness to this offense that it hadn’t had,” Clark said.
“When you watch JSN run by people, you sit back and you go, ‘I just don’t know why or how they can’t keep up with them.’ When you see Rashid Shaheed run by people, you’re like, ‘Oh, I get it.’ And so now you add those two, have them on the field at the same time with the way they’re pairing this with the run game and play action. I think this could be a game changing trade for the Seattle Seahawks offense.”
What lies ahead for Rashid Shaheed, Seahawks
It’s clear that the Seahawks have more offensive upside than before. Not only will they continue to maximize Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s star talent, but they will also utilize Rashid Shaheed’s skillset to keep opposing defenses honest.
Shaheed represented the Saints in 42 games throughout four seasons. In those contests, he made 138 catches for 2,055 yards and 12 touchdowns. As a member of the special teams, he recorded 103 total returns for over 1,700 yards and two touchdowns.
Seattle has a 6-2 record on the season, boasting the top spot of the NFC West Division standings. They are above the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals at the moment. In terms of the NFC standings, they sit at third place. They are above the Green Bay Packers and Rams while trailing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles.
The Seahawks will continue preparation for their upcoming matchup, being at home. They host the Cardinals on Nov. 9 at 4:05 p.m. ET.
49ers’ Kyle Shanahan Reveals Plan for UFL MVP QB Ahead of Saints Game
With San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Brock Purdy ruled out of the team’s Week 2 matchup against the New Orleans Saints with a toe injury, backup Mac Jones is set to get the start. To serve as Jones’ backup, the Niners are elevating QB Adrian Martinez from the practice squad.
Martinez has never played a single snap in an NFL regular-season game, but he was an MVP in the UFL in 2024 for the Birmingham Stallions. He spent the 2024 season on the Jets’ practice squad and again spent camp in New York this summer. After being cut by the Jets coming out of the preseason, Martinez signed to the 49ers practice squad on August 27.
In his short time in San Francisco, head coach Kyle Shanahan has been impressed by the young quarterback. With Purdy set to potentially miss several more weeks with a turf toe injury, Martinez will serve as the backup quarterback, famously just one play away from being the most important player on the field for San Francisco.
“He’s been good these two weeks learning both these game plans,” Shanahan said on Friday. “Today, I mean this week he got the most reps that he’s got, at least with the scout team. We’re working on everything with him after practice, but nothing is…we’d have to see him in the game. We’re comfortable with him going in and executing. Really liked him here these first two weeks. If it comes to that we’ll be ready to go, though.”
San Francisco 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan on What the Game Plan Will Be if Adrian Martinez Check Into the Game
“I mean, yeah, you gotta change it a little bit when or if he’d have to go in,” Shanahan said on if the game plan would change with Martinez in the game. “I mean, he’s prepared for it all, but we’ll have an idea of the stuff he likes more than others.”
“We don’t tell him, he’s been here two weeks, so he learns the game plan for the week like everyone else. But you don’t tell a guy, ‘Hey, just take these 10 plays.’ You try to tell him to learn the whole game plan, but I always want to know what he’s most comfortable with, and hopefully we can stick with that, if the game allows us to.”
Adrian Martinez was a Star in College
Martinez may not have seen the field in an NFL game yet, but he was a star in college. He spent four years at Nebraska, starting as a true freshman and totaling 8,491 passing yards and 45 touchdowns to go with 2,301 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns. He transferred to Kansas State for his final season, setting the tone with 1,261 passing yards and six touchdowns, plus 627 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
Martinez is an accomplished dual-threat quarterback, someone who’s succeeded at multiple stops in college and in the UFL. Hopefully, he’ll never need to see the field for the Niners. But if he does, Shanahan is confident he can run an effective offense.
