The Pittsburgh Steelers broke an organizational trend during the 2026 offseason when the franchise decided to hire Mike McCarthy as its new head coach. He is an offensive-minded guru and the first one in Pittsburgh at the helm that embodies that quality in over 50 years. This means there should be more of a focus on the offensive side of the ball when it comes to roster construction, which should be exciting for the fan base as this offense has been hard to watch in recent years. The obvious position of need is quarterback, but the Steelers also need to find a way to fix the wide receiver room.
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Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (4) during a postseason matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans.
Pittsburgh has just three wide receivers from the 2025 active roster under contract for the 2026 season, DK Metcalf, Ben Skowronek, and Roman Wilson. Metcalf played okay in 2025, but the expectations were certainly higher. The organization needs to get some better weapons around him, which should open things up for the wide receiver, and it will lead to a more successful season in 2026. One name that is scheduled to become a free agent is Rashid Shaheed, who just won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. He should be a target for the Steelers, but he does not seem to want to come, which he mentioned on Wednesday's episode of The Insiders.
"Absolutely, absolutely, yeah," Shaheed said. "Conversations are definitely going to be heating up towards March. But you know, I would love to come back [to Seattle]. I loved my experience here, I'm loving the Pacific Northwest, and obviously the organization is second to none. I kind of want to run it back. We just won the Super Bowl, so, you know, why not?"
Shaheed has had a fascinating career in the NFL so far, and he is coming up on free agency in March if he cannot get a new deal done with Seattle. He signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent during the 2022 offseason, and he was traded to Seattle just before the trade deadline during the 2025 season. The Steelers were also interested in Shaheed at the deadline, and it looks like the franchise will be missing out on him again.
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Seahawks' Rashid Shaheed hauls in a deep ball during the NFC Championship game.
The Steelers actually worked hard to land Shaheed as the trade deadline approached during the 2025 regular season. The wide receiver was eventually dealt to Seattle in exchange for a fourth and fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. It was reported that the Steelers offered the same deal to the Saints, and the franchise gave the choice to Shaheed. He chose to go to the Seahawks and reunite with his former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who is now the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.
There is still a chance that Shaheed can make it to free agency and play for another team in 2026, but he has already looked past the Steelers once, and he can do it again. The Raiders are also a natural landing spot for Shaheed in free agency due to his background with Kubiak and the fact that Las Vegas is weak at the position.
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Seahawks' Rashid Shaheed celebrates after a home victory over the Los Angeles Rams in 2025.
Steelers Would Be Better Off Attacking Wide Receiver Via 2026 NFL Draft
Shaheed's current market value sits at roughly $14 million per season according to Spotrac, and he is projected to sign a three-year deal worth $42 million. That is a lot of money for a deep threat that is also a return man. He probably wouldn't have a ton of success in Pittsburgh, and the organization might be better off double-dipping at wide receiver in the 2026 draft. That would be the smarter decision as bringing in rookies on smaller deals usually benefits a franchise more in the long-term.
What do you think about Shaheed staying put in Seattle? Would you want him in Pittsburgh?
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