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Rashid Shaheed

Saints’ Rashid Shaheed Undergoes Season-Ending Meniscus Surgery

October 17th, 2024 at 3:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

Rashid Shaheed will indeed be out for the remainder of the season. The Saints’ top vertical receiver underwent a full meniscus repair, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

When it was first learned Shaheed would undergo a procedure, it was not known if a meniscus trim or repair would be required. The outcome of his surgery would dictate his recovery timeline, and today’s update confirms a 2024 return will not be possible. Schefter adds Shaheed will be sidelined for four to six months.

Any missed time would be acutely felt in New Orleans’ offense given the 26-year-old’s importance to the team’s offense. Shaheed has averaged 17.5 yards per reception this year while also remaining an X-factor in the return game. Especially as Chris Olave misses Week 7 due to a concussion, the Saints will be highly limited in the passing game tonight.

Beyond their upcoming game against the Broncos, however, the Saints will miss Shaheed’s abilities as a deep threat. The former UDFA logged 14 combined starts during his first two years with the team, emerging as a legitimate No. 2 option along the way. He held that role through the opening six weeks of the current campaign, totaling 349 yards (a figure which leads the team) and three touchdowns on offense. Shaheed also leads the league in punt return average (15.9 yards) and he scored a touchdown in that department earlier in the year. New Orleans’ offense and special teams will be notably shorthanded moving forward.

As the Saints look to maintain their top-five ranking in scoring with rookie Spencer Rattler at quarterback for at least one more game, they will need to do so without a key contributor. Finding a way to replace Shaheed would of course also help in ending the team’s four-game losing streak and boost the chances of a playoff berth. Shaheed is under contract for 2025, the point at which he will next see game action.

Saints Place WR Rashid Shaheed On IR; Return This Season In Doubt

October 17th, 2024 at 3:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

OCTOBER 17: Shaheed was placed on injured reserve Thursday, per a team announcement. That move guarantees at least a four-game absence and does not offer an encouraging sign with respect to his late-season availability. Until the outcome of Shaheed’s surgery is clear, though, the Saints will remain hopeful he can return at some point in 2024.

OCTOBER 16: Already without Chris Olave, the Saints will head into their Thursday-night Broncos matchup with breakthrough wideout Rashid Shaheed sidelined as well. Shaheed will undergo knee surgery, sidelining him for the foreseeable future.

The downfield threat has a chance to come back this season, but that is not assured. The outcome of Shaheed’s meniscus surgery will determine if he misses a few weeks or the rest of the year, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Losing Shaheed would be a tough blow to a New Orleans offense that has already played without multiple offensive linemen for stretches this season. Dealing with an oblique tear, Derek Carr is also set to miss a second game.

Dennis Allen subsequently announced that Shaheed will undergo an exploratory procedure that will determine if the third-year wideout will need a meniscus trim or a full repair, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds. A full repair would knock the recently extended receiver out for the season.

Averaging 17.5 yards per catch, Shaheed has continued his transition from UDFA to starter. Olave’s top sidekick has scored three long-range TDs and exited Week 6 with 20 receptions for 349 yards. Shaheed, last season’s first-team All-Pro punt returner, also returned a punt for a score for a second straight season. While Olave is the Saints’ top receiver investment, Shaheed currently leads the team in yardage.

The Saints did well to identify Shaheed out of Division I-FCS Montana State, bringing him in as part of their 2022 UDFA class. With Michael Thomas rarely available over the previous two seasons — and when he was, the former All-Pro displayed an injury-driven decline that presently has him out of the league — Shaheed stepped in to give the team an intriguing WR2 option. Last season, Shaheed totaled 719 yards and five TD receptions in 15 games. He then entered this year as a clear-cut New Orleans starter.

Shaheed, 26, signed an ERFA tender this offseason but later inked a one-year bump that calls for a $4.2MM base salary in 2025. This transaction prevented the Saints from needing to apply a second-round RFA tender on the Weber State alum next year. But the team now risks losing a blossoming player, continuing a tough stretch that followed an explosive 2-0 start.

The Saints will again deploy Spencer Rattler as their starting QB, but he will not have any reliable wideouts to target. The team cut 2023 draftee A.T. Perry, who is now on Denver’s practice squad. Beyond Shaheed and Olave, rookie Bub Means leads Saints WRs with five receptions for 45 yards.

NFC South Notes: Panthers, Diaby, Saints

August 1st, 2024 at 8:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers will be shorthanded at the quarterback position for a bit. Andy Dalton sustained a quad injury, per Dave Canales, that is expected to sideline the 14th-year veteran for the next couple of weeks. As a result, Canales said (via The Athletic’s Joe Person) the Panthers are looking to add a quarterback. Carolina gave Dalton a two-year, $10MM deal with $8MM fully guaranteed to back up its to-be-determined rookie arm last year. Dalton backed up Bryce Young throughout last season and is in place to do so for a second coaching staff.

Rookie UDFA Jack Plummer is the only other passer on the Panthers’ 90-man roster. Ryan Tannehill headlines the list of available arms, one that also includes Blaine Gabbert and Trevor Siemian, but it would surprise if the recent Titans starter — who said recently he is not actively seeking a deal — accepted what looks to be a short-term opportunity. Though, it does appear the Panthers want a more experienced option running with their second team during practice and into the preseason.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • Also on the injury front, the Buccaneers will be without YaYa Diaby for several weeks. A 2023 third-round pick who may well be Tampa Bay’s top edge-rushing option, Diaby sustained a high ankle sprain in practice, per the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. Diaby was carted way from Bucs practice Thursday but looks to have avoided a major injury. The team has Week 1 as a realistic goal, according to ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine, who adds the second-year pass rusher is optimistic about not missing any regular-season time. He will not play during the Bucs’ preseason slate. Diaby, who replaced Joe Tryon-Shoyinka opposite the since-retired Shaq Barrett during the season, registered a Bucs-most 7.5 sacks in 2023.
  • The Saints‘ tackle situation has generated considerable attention this year, but they also need to make a change at guard. After James Hurst‘s retirement and Andrus Peat‘s Raiders defection, the team has a vacancy on the left side next to first-rounder Taliese Fuaga. Early during camp, the Saints have 2023 fourth-rounder Nick Saldiveri in place as their LG starter opposite Cesar Ruiz, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. It sounds like the Saints want the Old Dominion alum to start, as WWL Radio’s Jeff Nowak indicates the team has not planned on rotating its first-team O-line reps. Saldiveri, a trade-up target last year, played in four games as a rookie. This would also mean the team’s Trevor Penning-at-RT rumors are close to producing a starting role, though preseason play will help determine New Orleans’ final five.
  • New Orleans’ recent Rashid Shaheed extension will give him a $4.2MM base salary for 2025 and a $1MM signing bonus, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell tweets. Heavy void years proponents, the Saints will spread the bonus from 2024-27; the ’26 and ’27 seasons are voids. This will prevent the Saints from having to use a first- or second-round tender on their UDFA find next year, though it is far from a true extension. Given an ERFA tender months before this deal, Shaheed remains on track for unrestricted free agency in 2026.
  • Circling back to the Panthers, their agreement with Kemoko Turay is for one year and $1.13MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. No guaranteed money is included in the deal. Carolina’s contract for return man/receiver Deven Thompkins is worth $985K, Wilson adds.
  • As the Panthers transition to GM Dan Morgan‘s leadership, a scouting change will occur. Carolina is losing Midwest area scout Joel Patten, Person indicates. Patten, whom Dave Gettleman hired to his Midwest scout post in 2016, is retiring. A former NFL O-lineman who started for the Chargers and Colts in the late 1980s, Patten has worked in scouting roles in Washington, San Francisco, Houston and St. Louis. The 49ers employed Patten, 66, as director of player personnel from 2013-15. Former Eagles staffer Brad Obee is now in place as the Panthers’ Midwest scout.

Saints Give WR Rashid Shaheed One-Year Extension

July 20th, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Ely Allen

After tendering exclusive rights free agent Rashid Shaheed, the Saints have agreed to extend the first-team All-Pro for an additional season, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. They settled his 2024 contract with the tender in March and, apparently, decided to deal with his situation for 2025 this offseason, as well.

The tender offer from New Orleans guaranteed that Shaheed will be on the roster in 2024. As an exclusive rights free agent, Shaheed essentially only had a take-it-or-leave-it option. With the team deciding to make a tender offer, a one-year contract at the value of the league minimum for a three-year veteran, Shaheed was unable to negotiate with other teams and was required to sign the deal in order to play in 2024.

That seemed like a bit of a cruel way to reward your first-team All-Pro return man. Over two years after going undrafted out of Weber State, Shaheed has solidified himself as a reliable WR2 behind Chris Olave and established himself as one of the league’s best current return men. Especially with the rule changes in the return game coming next year, having a returner you can depend on is a must.

Shaheed isn’t just a returner, though. In 2023, his 719-receiving yard total was second on the team, and he matched Olave for the team-lead in receiving touchdowns. With a punt return for a touchdown, as well, his six total touchdowns tied Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill for the team-lead in total scores, as well.

To properly reward Shaheed for his efforts, New Orleans has signed him to a one-year extension worth $5.2MM. Shaheed was set to become a restricted free agent following this season, and his new extension helps both parties avoid that situation. The $5.2MM projects somewhere between the values of a first- and second-round RFA tender for next year, so the Saints are avoiding the tedium of the future while locking down Shaheed and rewarding him by guaranteeing that he’ll be under contract for another two years.

Saints Tender ERFA WR Rashid Shaheed

March 8th, 2024 at 9:01pm CST by Ely Allen

Some may forget as he hasn’t played like it, but Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed was an undrafted free agent just two years ago. And like many undrafted free agents who find their way to the 53-man roster early in their careers, Shaheed faces free agency after only two seasons in the league. With fewer than three accrued seasons in the NFL, Shaheed qualifies as an exclusive rights free agent, allowing the team to retain him with a simple tender offer, which they chose to do this week, according to John Hendrix of Sports Illustrated.

This tender offer from New Orleans guarantees that Shaheed will be on the roster in 2024. Exclusive rights free agents essentially only have a take-it-or-leave-it option. If the team decides to make a tender offer, a one-year contract at the value of the league minimum for a three-year veteran, the player is unable to negotiate with other teams and is required to sign the deal in order to play in 2024.

For the league minimum, New Orleans is getting quite the steal. As a rookie, Shaheed was a solid complementary wide receiver. This past season, Shaheed only got better, solidifying himself as a reliable WR2 behind Chris Olave. In addition to his receiving duties, Shaheed has established himself as the team’s primary return man over the last two years, even getting Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors as a returner this season.

While the wide receiving corps is set to look slightly different in 2024 with veteran wide receiver Michael Thomas expected to be released when the new league year begins, Shaheed will now return alongside Olave and A.T. Perry, providing some young consistency for quarterback Derek Carr next season.

NFL Injury Updates: McGlinchey, Browns, Shaheed, Byrd

August 9th, 2023 at 9:51pm CST by Ely Allen

The Broncos endured a scare yesterday when new offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey was rolled up on in camp. According to Mike Klis of 9NEWS, it sounds like they avoided disaster as their starting right tackle only suffered a sprained knee.

Denver brought on McGlinchey, who was one of this offseason’s most prized free agents, at the open of free agency, shortly after also signing former Ravens guard Ben Powers. It showed how serious the team was about bulking up their offensive line to protect a veteran quarterback in Russell Wilson, who struggled last year in a new system.

Luckily, it sounds like McGlinchey avoided serious injury. This shouldn’t end up anything like the torn quadriceps injury that cut his 2021 season short. Klis claims that McGlinchey should only miss two to three weeks. He’ll have to take it easy for the entire preseason, but he should be ready to make his Broncos debut in the team’s season opener against the Raiders.

In the team’s first released depth chart of the season, veteran swing tackle Cameron Fleming is listed as McGlinchey’s primary backup. He should get a good run over the next few weeks in case McGlinchey’s recovery leaks into the regular season.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the league:

  • The Browns also experienced a couple of minor scares when two second-year defensive ends went down with “significant knee injuries,” according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Both Alex Wright and Isaiah Thomas suffered injuries this week that had head coach Kevin Stefanski thinking they would each “miss an extended period of time.” Luckily, ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided an update today that, after undergoing arthroscopic surgery, both players are expected to return “early in the season.” Although Wright started five games last year, both players are considered rotational backups. The position’s depth takes a hit, but the stars are still there.
  • Cleveland is down another second-year player in running back Jerome Ford, who is reportedly “week-to-week” with a hip injury, according to Browns staff writer Anthony Polsal. Although Ford’s main contribution as a rookie came returning kickoffs, he’s been expected to take the next step at running back this year with the departure of Kareem Hunt. He had been “receiving a considerable amount of reps” in camp before limping off the practice field on Monday. The team will turn to Demetric Felton, John Kelly, and undrafted rookie Hassan Hall in Ford’s absence, but they believe there’s a chance Ford could be back by Week 1.
  • Saints second-year wide receiver Rashid Shaheed missed another practice today, according to NOF Network. The surprise rookie contributor from last year has been missing a bit of time through camp with a groin injury. The report claims that, while Shaheed is expected to miss a few weeks, he should be ready to go for the team’s regular season opener.
  • The Panthers depth at wide receiver took a hit yesterday as veteran Damiere Byrd suffered “a significant hamstring injury,” according to Joseph Person of The Athletic. New head coach Frank Reich says that Byrd could need surgery. If so, it’s expected that the wideout would “miss at least eight weeks.” The new-look top-end remains the same with free agent additions Adam Thielen and DJ Chark and second-round rookie Jonathan Mingo. Behind them, Carolina still sports a strong backup group including Terrace Marshall, Laviska Shenault, Shi Smith, and others.

NFC South Rumors: Alford, Mays, Saints

July 1st, 2023 at 5:55pm CST by Ely Allen

In January 2022, the Falcons signed cornerback Dee Alford out of the Canadian Football League to a reserve/futures contract. A year and a half later, Alford could be pushing for a starting role, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein.

After going undrafted out of Tusculum, Alford signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL in 2020 but didn’t get to play after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the season. When the team returned in 2021, Alford won a starting job and helped lead the Bombers to their second consecutive Grey Cup title.

Following his signing in the offseason, Alford defied the odds by making the 53-man roster. Alford served as a depth piece in the Falcons secondary for much of the year but did come up with a few big plays. In a Week 2 loss to the Rams, Alford gained his team two points with a safety. Two weeks later, he recorded a game-clinching interception over the Browns.

According to Rothstein, Alford has been rising in the offseason for Atlanta. In spring practices, Alford reportedly “took the vast majority of first-team reps at slot (cornerback).” Mike Hughes was the presumed starter at nickelback heading into the offseason, but Alford is making himself hard to ignore as he pushes for a starting role.

Here are a few other rumors coming out of the NFC South:

  • A sixth-round pick for the Panthers last year, Cade Mays may find himself in a bit of a larger role than last year to start the 2023 season, according to Joseph Person of The Athletic. With starting right guard Austin Corbett still recovering from an ACL repair surgery, Mays has reportedly stepped up this offseason. While his rookie year saw him block out of the backfield in short-yardage situations, Mays is in line to begin the season as a starter at right guard for Carolina.
  • The Saints are no strangers to injuries in the past few years. They are feeling it the worst this season in the wide receiving corps, where we got some recent updates from Terrin Waack of nola.com. Michael Thomas‘s woes continued thanks to toe surgery that landed him on injured reserve last year. He’s “slowly but surely” working his way back but is, reportedly, “still not full-go.” Last year’s rookie sensation Chris Olave missed the end of minicamp with an inflamed Achilles tendon but is expected to be okay. The other rookie from last year, Rashid Shaheed, suffered a groin injury in organized team activities that held him out of minicamp. He’s also expected to be fine by the time camp rolls around.

Saints Cut Roster Down To 53

August 30th, 2022 at 6:59pm CST by Ely Allen

New Orleans got a head start on the deadline for roster cuts this weekend with several moves, but the team found its way to the 53-man limit today. Here are the moves the Saints made today to get there:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on reserve/injured:

Placed on reserve/suspended by commissioner:

The big story of the day for New Orleans was the trade this morning that sent defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to Philadelphia. The defensive back had pushed for an extension, staging a hold-in effort early in camp, but ultimately found himself on his way to Pennsylvania, paving the way for the Saints to hold onto six safeties. Safety Daniel Sorensen is on the roster for his special teams contributions, but Justin Evans will really be given a chance to contribute at safety in the absence of Gardner-Johnson.

Despite seeing fellow defensive tackle Huggins head to injured reserve, rookie sixth-round pick Jackson was unable to hold onto a roster spot, being the only member of the Saints’ rookie draft class who failed to do so. The offseason addition of Kentavius Street was likely the determining factor that left Jackson off the 53-man roster.

The team did see an undrafted free agent make the final roster as offensive lineman Lewis Kidd worked his way out of Montana State to make the Saints’ initial 53. He’ll serve as a depth piece on an offensive line with quite a few injury questions.

A position group that definitely looks improved on paper is the receiving corps who gets back Michael Thomas and added first-round pick Chris Olave and veteran Jarvis Landry in the offseason. These new targets will combine with the tight ends group, that includes swiss-army man Taysom Hill, as weapons for quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton.

Besides all the above, the team will look fairly similar in composition to last year’s. The running backs, special teams, defensive ends, and cornerbacks will look largely the same as the team heads into the 2022 NFL season. Where things could end up looking different is on the practice squad. After clearing waivers, many of the players above will have the opportunity to rejoin the Saints’ 16-man squad.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/8/22

August 8th, 2022 at 6:59pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Waived/injured: DT Bryce Rodgers

Carolina Panthers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Commanders

  • Signed: WR Matt Cole
  • Reverted to IR: WR Jequez Ezzard

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/19/22

July 19th, 2022 at 6:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

  • Waived: QB Nate Stanley

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

  • Placed on NFI: WR Rashid Shaheed

New York Jets

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