By the time the NFL trade deadline rolled around, it was clear that the New Orleans Saints were not set up to compete this season. They had fallen to the bottom of the NFC South and were in the middle of benching quarterback Spencer Rattler for rookie Tyler Shough. With the season already lost, nobody blamed them for trading away wide receiver Rashid Shaheed.
But as Shough has shown flashes of promise and Shaheed has made an impact with the Seattle Seahawks, Saints fans are left wondering whether it would have been better to keep the dynamic weapon in New Orleans.
In a crucial Seahawks win over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football, Shaheed reminded Saints fans just how impactful he can be.
Rashid Shaheed reminds Saints fans of what they lost in Seahawks' TNF win
The Seahawks needed a win over the Rams to take the top spot in the NFC West. They got it in miraculous fashion, and Shaheed played a major role in earning the victory. A quick glance at the box score will show that the former Saints wideout had just one target and zero catches in the overtime thriller. But his impact didn't come on offense.
Instead, it came in the middle of the fourth quarter, when Shaheed returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown. After a two-point conversion, the Seahawks were able to pull within eight points of the Rams. The electric punt return flipped the game on its head, giving the Seahawks the momentum that they would need to pull off the comeback win.
It wasn't the first example of his special teams impact. In fact, Shaheed returned a kickoff for a touchdown less than two weeks earlier, something he was never able to do for the Saints.
The final details of the trade won't be determined until the Saints use the draft picks they received in return, but some level of regret may already be bubbling up in New Orleans. The receiver brought a vertical threat to the offense as well as a big-play ability to the return game. Especially with Shough's quest to prove himself as a franchise quarterback, it wouldn't hurt to have another capable receiver in the building.
As the Saints transition into their next era, they could use a player with Shaheed's skill set. Instead, fans in New Orleans will have to settle for watching him make game-changing plays in Seattle.