Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

One Free Agent the Seahawks Must Sign — No Excuses

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Mar 6, 2026 11:00 AM ET

The Seattle Seahawks should hope to re-sign wide receiver Rashid Shaheed in free agency. However, he is expected to be one of the top free agent wideouts in the league, so the Seahawks might not be able to afford his raise.

Given how the team responded to not giving the franchise tag to running back Kenneth Walker III, it's safe to assume the Seahawks don't want to give super expensive contracts to anyone in free agency this offseason. If they cannot re-sign Shaheed, they should look to add someone similar to replace him, like Houston Texans veteran wideout Christian Kirk.

Christian Kirk Could Make Sense For Seahawks

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The Seahawks will need someone who can return kicks and punts with Shaheed gone and Kirk has experience in both of those categories. While Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp and Tory Horton will be viewed as the top three receivers, Kirk could find his way in the mix for the offense and that could mean the Seahawks get a steal in free agency.

Kirk was a second-round pick out of Texas A&M by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2018 NFL Draft. He spent his first four seasons with the Cardinals and grew each year, nearly getting to 1,000 yards in the 2021 campaign. That led him to sign a four-year, $72 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency and he continued to grow.

Kirk had the best statistical season of his career in 2022 when he caught 84 passes for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns while the Jags made it to the playoffs with second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence passing to him. That was the peak of his career as his numbers took a dip in 2023 and 2024 as he missed time in each season due to injury.

Ahead of the 2025 campaign, the Jags traded Kirk to the AFC South rival Texans for a seventh-round pick. Kirk was a depth piece for the Texans behind Nico Collins and rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, catching 28 passes for a career-low 279 yards.

He may not be the player he once was, but he can still provide a lot of depth for the Seahawks if they bring him on board for a very small and affordable contract.