The New Orleans Saints have been one of, if not the most injured offense in the NFL this season. One of their biggest blows was losing Rashid Shaheed for the remainder of the 2024 season. What happened to Shaheed and where do the Saints go from here?
How Did Rashid Shaheed Get Injured?
Shaheed finished the Saints’ Week 6 vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, seemingly coming out unharmed. However, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport followed up with an ominous tweet leading up to New Orleans’ Week 7 game vs. the Denver Broncos.
One to keep an eye on: #Saints electric WR/returner Rashid Shaheed did not practice today for a knee injury described as concerning, source said.
His status going forward is TBD. pic.twitter.com/69r9XYo7eX
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 14, 2024
Shaheed did not play in Week 7 or any other game moving forward, as it turns out he needed season-ending meniscus surgery. The surgery comes with a 4-6 month recovery timeline, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Update: Doctors wound repairing the meniscus in Saints’ WR Rashid Shaheed’s knee today and he now faces a four-to-six month recovery, per source. Shaheed was placed on injured reserve and his season is over. pic.twitter.com/tyz8RSdZgB
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 17, 2024
The timeline indicates that Shaheed underwent a full repair, which is better for the long-term health of his knee. Had he opted for a trim, that could have led to some issues down the road, but he could have returned in 4-6 weeks.
What is Rashid Shaheed’s Contract Status?
Luckily for Shaheed, the former undrafted free agent out of FCS Weber State has already gotten some insurance for 2025. Before training camp this season, Shaheed signed a one-year, $5.2 million extension to keep him tied to New Orleans through 2025.
“Absolutely a blessing” 🫶
Shaheed speaks on his contract extension pic.twitter.com/DL44Cexr6f
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) July 27, 2024
Shaheed has a void year in 2026, which the Saints frequently use for cap accounting measures. That means he will hit unrestricted free agency after 2025, barring another extension.
The 4-to-6 month recovery timeline means that Shaheed should be ready by February to April, putting him in play to participate in spring OTAs and minicamp. That should give him plenty of time to ramp up for the 2025 season.
Fantasy Implications of Shaheed’s Knee Injury
Shaheed had emerged into one of the best late-round picks in fantasy. His 13.6 fantasy points per game was severely outpacing Chris Olave. In addition, his 17.4 yards per reception ranked fifth in the NFL through Week 6.
The Saints were heavily reliant on their top two wideouts when both were healthy. Through six weeks, Olave and Shaheed accounted for 50.3% of the Saints’ receiving yards (629 out of 1,249) and 41.7% of their targets (70 out of 168).
Olave should be a target funnel when he and Derek Carr are healthy, giving him significant value in PPR leagues. But apart from that, the Saints’ pass catchers have not provided significant fantasy value in 2024.
