Shaheed (groin) returned for a portion of practice Thursday, making his first appearance since Aug. 5, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Shaheed still figures to miss a third straight preseason game when the Saints host the Texans on Sunday, but he still has more than two weeks to prepare for a Sept. 10 season opener against Tennessee. He'll likely be the Saints' No. 3 receiver when healthy, following a rookie season in which he progressed from being an undrafted free agent to a return specialist to a trick-play weapon to a productive starter. Shaheed never drew more than six targets in a game, but he did close out the year with five straight games (all starts) with at least four, catching 20 of 23 passes for 324 yards and a TD in that stretch.