New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots, now 4-2 after a hard-fought 25-19 road victory over the New Orleans Saints in Week 6, have built momentum under head coach Mike Vrabel with young quarterback Drake Maye at the helm. Maye’s efficient play has fueled three wins in their last four games, but the receiving group could still use another weapon to terrorize defenses fully. With the NFL trade deadline on November 4, pursuing Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed—a contract-year speed demon—could provide the explosive element to propel New England toward the playoffs.
Through six games this season, Shaheed has been a top two receiver for New Orleans, posting 26 receptions for 316 yards (12.2 yards per catch) and two touchdowns. Shaheed has elite speed, as evidenced recently by his 87-yard TD reception from Spencer Rattler against the New York Giants. Shaheed reached a ridiculous speed of 21.72 mph on his route.
In the Saints’ narrow loss to New England in Week 6, Shaheed snared four catches for 28 yards. Given New Orleans’ losing season and Shaheed’s expiring deal, he’s drawn trade buzz from multiple contenders. There’s no reason why the Patriots shouldn’t monitor the situation. Shaheed would not only give Maye another target; he would reinvigorate the Patriots’ kick and punt return game that took a blow when Antonio Gibson was lost for the season.
New England could offer New Orleans a third-rounder, perhaps bundled with a salary dump. This is a package the Saints might jump at amid their rebuild.
Shaheed is still just 27 years old. Undrafted from Weber State in 2022, the 6-foot, 180-pound Phoenix native joined New Orleans as a return specialist, leveraging his FCS-record seven career kickoff return touchdowns and 2,178 college receiving yards. His pro breakout came swiftly: 488 yards and six scores as a rookie, followed by a 2023 Pro Bowl season with 719 receiving yards, four touchdowns, and All-Pro punt return honors (766 yards).
After a meniscus injury cut short his 2024 campaign post-Week 6, Shaheed signed a one-year, $4.45 million deal for 2025 and has silenced doubters with renewed burst.
Shaheed would give the Patriots another vertical specialist to open up the field for Maye and New England’s other wide receivers. Guys like Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte are starting to excel in a big way, but they’d be even more dangerous with Shaheed freeing underneath routes.
