New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed has been placed on the injured reserve and is ruled out for the remainder of the 2024 NFL season after undergoing surgery on his meniscus, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Thursday.
Shaheed underwent meniscus surgery on Thursday to determine the severity of his injury. Head coach Dennis Allen told reporters on Wednesday that should the receiver need a full repair, his season would be over. But if he just needed a trim, he would only be sidelined for multiple weeks.
The surgery determined that Shaheed would require a full repair and he now faces a four-to-six month recovery.
The 26-year-old has 20 receptions for a team-high 349 receiving yards with three touchdowns in six games this season. He’s also the team’s primary punt returner and has picked up 143 yards in nine returns with one touchdown.
The former Weber St. product joined the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection and was named an All-Pro last season for his work returning punts.
Before this season, the Saints signed Shaheed to a one-year, $5.2 million contract extension and will remain under contract for the 2025 season.
His absence coincides with that of starting receiver Chris Olave, who entered the concussion protocol early in last Sunday’s game after absorbing a helmet-to-helmet hit.
With Shaheed removed from the active roster, the Saints added receivers Jermaine Jackson and Equanimeous St. Brown to the active roster in advance of Thursday night’s game against the Denver Broncos, which New Orleans entered on a four-game losing streak.
Also inactive against Denver are quarterback Derek Carr (oblique), guard Cesar Ruiz (knee), linebacker Pete Werner (hamstring), defensive tackle Khalen Saunders (back), tight end Taysom Hill (ribs) and running back Jordan Mims.
The Saints are currently 2-4 and have lost their last four games. They take on the Denver Broncos on Thursday night.
— With files from the Associated Press