With Seahawks training camp kicking off later this month, Seahawks.com is counting down, in no particular order, 10 of the most intriguing storylines, position battles and players heading into the 2026 season. Today we kick thigs off with a look at who could handle return duties.
Halfway through the 2025 season, the Seahawks acquired receiver Rashid Shaheed from the New Orleans Saints. At the time, the Seahawks saw the acquisition as a way to add a big-play threat to their roster, sending a fourth and fifth-round pick to New Orleans. And Shaheed's arrival in Seattle proved to be an automatic boost in both the kick and punt return game.
Five games into his Seahawks career, Shaheed returned a kick for a touchdown while on the road in Atlanta. Just a few weeks later, in a comeback-win over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football, Shaheed helped spark the comeback by returning a punt for a touchdown. Then during Seattle's playoff run, Shaheed returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in Seattle's win over the San Francisco 49ers, setting the tone for the rest of the divisional round game. He earned his second Pro Bowl honors after the season.
And now the fifth-year receiver has locked in a three-year contract to stay with Seattle.
While he was a huge contributor through special teams, the receiver contributed when he could in the receiving game, but the plan is with a full offseason with quarterback Sam Darnold, Shaheed should figure to have a larger role in the offense.
"Excited for him," Jaxon Smith-Njigba said. "Came back more explosive than ever. I'm happy for him to finally get a whole offseason with us and into training camp. It's always a special time and it's a grind. For him to be here with us and go through that it's just going to excel him to greater things this season."
Head coach Mike Macdonald said, "Rashid, he deserves a lot of credit. He's been here the whole time. He's had a great attitude. He's had a lot of personal records in our offseason training program. The timing of our plays look like it should, given the amount of reps that are invested into it. I know I'm as excited as heck to see where it goes."
If Shaheed does have a larger role in the offense and no longer has a role, or a smaller role in the return game that leaves a couple jobs open that the Seahawks would have to fill.
On the punt return side, before an injury cut his rookie season short, Tory Horton was on his way to having what looked like could be a successful rookie campaign. Through eight games, Horton had 13 receptions for 161 yards and five touchdowns. He was also handling punt return duties, returning 16 punts for 238 yards, including returning a punt 95 yards for a touchdown in Week 3.
Macdonald said that Horton should be ready at some point during training camp.
"Early on in camp, if not the beginning of camp, if we stay on schedule, and everything goes well, we'll be praying that he can be out there," he said. "And it won't be a full [go]. You gotta be smart in how he comes back and all that, but he should be, active within, I don't want to put a timetable on it. It could be anywhere from day one, he's rocking and rolling, or maybe it's a couple days."
As far as kick return duties, George Holani, Cody White, rookie Jadarian Price and rookie Emmanuel Henderson Jr. all have experience on kick return.
Last season, Holani and White both returned kicks for Seattle.
In college last season, Price returned 12 kicks for 450 yards and two touchdowns at Notre Dame, and Henderson returned 18 kicks for 455 yards and one touchdown at Kansas.
It's no secret that Shaheed's contributions on special teams last year were game changing for Seattle last season, but it will become clearer as the season approaches where the Seahawks see Shaheed fitting in with the push for a larger role in the offense this season.
The Seahawks re-signed wide receiver and return specialist Rashid Shaheed to a multi-year deal on March 11, 2026. Check out the top photos of Shaheed from the 2025 Super Bowl-winning season.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed at the Los Angeles Rams in Week 11.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed at the Los Angeles Rams in Week 11.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Tennessee Titans in Week 12.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Tennessee Titans in Week 12.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Minnesota Vikings in Week 13.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Minnesota Vikings in Week 13.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed at the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed at the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed at the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed at the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed at the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed at the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed at the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed at the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed at the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed at the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed at the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed at the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed vs. the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed at the Super Bowl LX parade.
Seahawks wide receiver (22) Rashid Shaheed at the Super Bowl LX parade.
