Rashid Shaheed was a pleasant surprise for the New Orleans Saints last season, having emerged as a playmaker at wide receiver and on special teams late in his rookie year. Now he’s going into his second year in black and gold, but he’ll be working with a new quarterback.
When asked about his reaction to the Saints signing Derek Carr after he caught passes from Jameis Winston, Andy Dalton, and Taysom Hill as a rookie, Shaheed was all smiles. He got the opportunity to talk about his whirlwind of a year on NFL Network’s NFL Total Access show.
“It was a lot of emotion, I was so excited,” Shaheed reflected. “I was kind of antsy to find out who was going to be our quarterback, it was kind of in-between. There were some reports (Carr) was interested in us or the Jets. But once I found out he was locked as a Saint nothing but excitement, I’m excited to have a leader like him who’s known throughout the league. I’m ready to work with him.”
Shaheed quickly endeared himself to Saints fans by scoring two touchdowns on the first two touches of his NFL career, running 44 yards for a TD against the Cincinnati Bengals in his debut and following up with a 53-yard reception a week later versus the Arizona Cardinals. He ended the year with 488 receiving yards and 57 rushing yards.
He continued, “Being on the same page with the quarterback is key, and making sure he’s comfortable with me and knowing that I’m always going to be in the place that he expects me to be. And this time period in between now and the season, it’s pivotal that we get those reps and timing down. No doubt in my mind that we’re going to have success on the field. I’m excited to get to work.”
And as NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger observed, he’s more than a gadget player. Shaheed posted an impressive catch rate (82.4%) and converted 18 first downs on 28 receptions. By year’s end he was their most consistent possession receiver. And he also gained 193 punt return yards and 320 yards on kick returns. He and Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco were the only first-year pros to put up both 500-plus scrimmage yards on offense and 500-plus return yards on special teams. Let’s see how he levels up further in 2023.
