ScoutIndex

MIA MIA

Shaka Heyward

LB

Shaka Heyward plays LB in the NFL. He's currently with MIA, in his 4th season in the league. His 34.8 ScoutIndex Rating last season was below the DEF average, in the 19th percentile.

Size

6'3", 238#

College

Duke

Draft

—

Seasons

2023–2026

2025 ScoutIndex Rating · DEF

Methodology
34.8

19th percentile among DEFs

9 games

Splash plays×0.15-0.44
Pass rush×0.3-0.69
Ball skills×0.25-0.69
Run defense×0.2-0.93
Availability×0.1-0.20

Career (regular season)

SeasonTmSIGPass ydsPass TDRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
2026MIA32.31
2025CIN34.89
2024CIN55.93

Career profile

Shaka Heyward has appeared in 13 regular-season games across 3 NFL seasons on file, playing for 2 teams: CIN (2024–2025), MIA (2026).

By the ScoutIndex Rating, his best qualified season was 2025: a 34.8, in the 19th percentile among DEFs that year.

2025 splits

regular season

2025 game log

WkOppLineScore
Week 1CLE—39.7
Week 2JAX—40.1
Week 3MIN—40.2
Week 4DEN—41
Week 5DET—40.5
Week 6GB—40.6
Week 7PIT—39.7
Week 16MIA—39.9
Week 17ARI—39.6

Shaka Heyward — common questions

What position does Shaka Heyward play?
Shaka Heyward is listed as an LB.
Which teams has Shaka Heyward played for?
In the seasons on file (1999 onward), Shaka Heyward has played for CIN (2024–2025), MIA (2026).
Where did Shaka Heyward go to college?
Shaka Heyward played college football at Duke.
How many touchdowns has Shaka Heyward scored?
Shaka Heyward has no rushing, receiving or passing touchdowns in the regular-season games on file.
What is Shaka Heyward's ScoutIndex Rating?
Shaka Heyward rated 32.3 for 2026, the 2nd percentile among DEFs (provisional or limited sample). Ratings run 0–99; about 60 is a league-average qualified starter.

Related players

Top teammates, last season on file

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