The New Orleans Saints have placed wide receiver and kick returner Rashid Shaheed on injured reserve following season-ending knee surgery. Shaheed underwent the procedure in Los Angeles to address a meniscus injury, which required repair and comes with a recovery timeline of four to six months.
Prior to his injury, Shaheed had a standout season as an All-Pro kick returner, leading the league with an average of 15.9 yards per punt return and scoring a touchdown on a punt return just last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
His absence is particularly significant as the Saints will now be without their top two receivers in their upcoming game against the Denver Broncos, led by former Saints coach Sean Payton. Shaheed had accumulated 20 receptions for a team-high 349 yards and three touchdowns, while Chris Olave, currently sidelined with a concussion, had the second-most catches for the team with 23 for 289 yards and a touchdown.
Shaheed is the latest in a series of key players for the Saints to be placed on injured reserve. Starting center Erik McCoy is recovering from groin surgery and is expected to miss six to eight weeks, while safety Will Harris has also been placed on IR due to a hamstring injury.
The Saints, who currently hold a 2-4 record, are struggling with injuries across the roster, including starting quarterback Derek Carr (oblique), guard Cesar Ruiz (knee), tight end Taysom Hill (rib), and linebacker Pete Werner (hamstring). Notably, linebacker Demario Davis missed the first game of his career due to injury in Week 4.
Shaheed had entered the offseason as an exclusive rights free agent and signed a one-year contract extension worth $5.2 million in July, securing his place with the team through the 2025 season.