How Rashid Shaheed trade should help Darnold bolster MVP case

Rashid Shaheed is heading to Seattle. Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

How Seahawks' trade for Rashid Shaheed should help QB Sam Darnold bolster MVP case

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Nov 4, 2025 6:19 PM ET

Seattle Seahawks eighth-year quarterback Sam Darnold is having one of the better years of his career, and it may only be getting better.

On Tuesday, the Seahawks sent a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the New Orleans Saints for wide receiver Rashid Shaheed. That move adds to an already-stacked Seattle offense, which features star third-year WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The bolstered unit could now continue to help Darnold solidify himself as a league MVP candidate.

How Rashid Shaheed increases Sam Darnold's chances of winning MVP

Darnold's stellar play has made Seattle (6-2) a Super Bowl contender. Through eight starts, he ranks seventh in the league in passing yards (2,084), ninth in touchdown passes (16) and second in QBR (77.9).

That gives him a decent shot at winning the coveted award. As of Tuesday, FanDuel Sportsbook lists his MVP odds at +1200, the fifth-best in the league. They may improve with Shaheed on the roster.

The trade details.

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— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 4, 2025

Shaheed, 27, is a big-play specialist. In four seasons with the Saints, the Weber State product averaged 14.9 yards per reception. Through nine games this season, he has averaged a career-low 11.3 yards per reception. The dip may be tied to New Orleans rookie head coach Kellen Moore not optimizing his skills.

Per ESPN's Seth Walder, 34% of the wideout's routes have been vertical this season compared to 44% last season. That shouldn't be a problem in Seattle, which may rely heavily on Shaheed in the deep passing game.

Pro Football Focus credits Darnold with 20 completions of 20-plus air yards, tied with Los Angeles QB Matthew Stafford and New England Patriots QB Drake Maye for the most in the league. (Air yards measure the distances the ball travels through the air from the line of scrimmage.) However, he has attempted just 28 such passes, tied for 16th in the league with Maye.

Adding Shaheed should let Darnold chuck it downfield more. That should make Seattle's fourth-ranked passing offense (255.1 YPG) even more explosive and allow the QB to make more signature plays. He'll need those to remain in the MVP race.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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