NFL fans at home had just finished watching a thrilling Bills-Broncos overtime affair on CBS before flipping over to Fox for the NFC divisional round contest between the Seahawks and Niners.
Fans didn't even get to settle in before the scoring began, as Seattle wide receiver Rashid Shaheed took the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown, in a scoring play that sent the Lumen Field home crowd into a frenzy.
RASHID SHAHEED RETURNS THE KICKOFF FOR SIX
— The Sports Place (@offsportsplace) January 18, 2026
OMG pic.twitter.com/cvM8rwdXk2
The game was set to kick off at 8 p.m. ET, but was delayed 20 minutes to accommodate the television rights of CBS, which had the Buffalo-Denver game in the middle of overtime. The Broncos ultimately cashed their ticket to the AFC championship with a 33-30 win.
If this game between the Seahawks and Niners is anywhere near as good as the first contest of the day, then NFL fans are in for a treat on divisional round Saturday.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
- Emotional Bills Players Defend Josh Allen After Heartbreaking Loss to Broncos
- Sean Payton Shares Inspiring Message He Gave Bo Nix After Devastating Injury
- Kenneth Walker III Joins Seahawks Legend With Historic Three-Touchdown Game
- Everything to Know About Jarrett Stidham, Broncos' New Starting QB After Bo Nix Injury
- Lead Referee Carl Cheffers Explains Reasoning Behind Controversial Interception Call in Bills-Broncos
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Seattle's Rashid Shaheed Starts Game vs. Niners With Electric 97-Yard Kickoff Return TD.
