No Darnold? No problem. JSN goes 8-122-1 in Week 1

On the Seahawks’ second play from scrimmage, a Cardinals safety somehow failed to pick up Smith-Njigba, streaking down the right sideline, after he snuck right past CB Will Johnson. Seahawks QB Drew Lock noticed and fired a perfect pass to Smith-Njigba in stride, leading to the Seahawks’ wide receiver’s longest career gain. The rest of the day played out similarly, with Smith-Njigba routing up defenders right and left. He scored again on the Seahawks’ seventh drive, leaping past a diving cornerback to make the catch in the end zone. Lock linked up with him again for a third score in the back of the end zone, threading the ball past a linebacker in the end zone as Smith-Njigba broke left on a crosser, dusting Cardinals S Budda Baker.

Shaheed reportedly had “major” performances throughout spring practices, hitting it off with QB Sam Darnold. Per Fowler, the Seahawks will continue to use WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba on PPR-friendly short and intermediate routes that helped him finish as the overall WR2 in total PPR scoring. But, rather than keeping Shaheed stuck in a field-stretching role, they plan to direct more short-to-intermediate stuff to Shaheed as well. Shaheed still has to go out and score more points this season, but this is the exact type of role change he needs to elevate above a frustratingly volatile fantasy profile.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report the deal. The 2025 NFL Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl Champion will sign the richest contract extension for a receiver in NFL history, which includes $120 million in guaranteed money. JSN is coming off back-to-back 100-catch seasons and went for 119-1,793-10 last season while averaging a career-high 15.1 YPR, and came up big in the playoffs, scoring twice in three playoff games on the way to a Super Bowl title. This extension comes just days after the Seahawks exercised JSN’s fifth-year option and will now keep him under contract through 2031.

Per ESPN’s Brady Henderson, Smith-Njigba’s 2027 salary is fully guaranteed and should make him roughly $23.85 million. Evidently, the 24-year-old wide receiver hit a pay scale escalator with his “one initial-ballot Pro Bowl,” boosting the value of his fifth-year option. Overall, Smith-Njigba has earned one first-team All-Pro spot and made two Pro Bowls through his three NFL seasons. He led the league with 1,793 receiving yards last year. Henderson previously suggested that the fifth-year option could be used to buy both sides more time as they work toward a potential record-setting, long-term extension.

Smith-Njigba led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards en route to Offensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors this season. He turned 24 years old earlier this month and believes he deserves to be the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL. Smith-Njigba’s teammate, and fellow 2023 first-round draftee, Witherspoon also took home Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors this year. Witherspoon should end up being handsomely paid as well, though it is unclear whether he is a candidate to reset the positional market. ESPN’s Brady Henderson notes that the Seahawks can exercise a fifth-year option on both contracts by May 1, giving all involved extra time to negotiate long-term deals if need be. Were the Seahawks to make Smith-Njigba the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver, the contract would average more than $40 million per year in new money.

It was a rare off night for JSN on an evening where almost every other Seahawk was flying around the field and on their A game. It’s a credit to the Patriots, though their only credit in a blowout defeat. JSN also survived a foot issue and concussion evaluation as he posted his second lowest yardage total of the year. Switching quarterbacks, coordinators and offensive philosophies, it was an open question whether JSN could build off his breakout 2024. He ended up posting the eighth most receiving yards in NFL history, with his 1,793 tallies built off the back of stunning consistency. JSN posted fewer than 70 yards only one time all season, and more than 100 nine times. Smith-Njigba was a true inside-out threat, with “just” 27.9 percent of his targets coming out of the slot. Still somehow only 24 years old next week, JSN now heads into the offseason the candidate for a mega extension as he enters the final two years of his rookie deal. This is probably a situation the Seahawks will get out in front of. Regardless of his contract status, JSN is firmly in the mix for No. 1 overall status in 2026 fantasy drafts.

Smith-Njigba put together an extremely impressive stat line in his third NFL season, catching 119-of-163 targets for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors this year after blossoming into a true No. 1 wide receiver.

Smith-Njigba opened with a sensational one-handed catch in what would be a masterpiece game from both the third-year receiver and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Kubiak schemed Smith-Njigba wide open out of the backfield for his touchdown, and continued to pepper him with short slants against zone and play-action routes late. Smith-Njigba hauled in only one catch in the fourth quarter, but it was an outstanding second-and-10 route that left his defender in the dust and set Seattle up to drain most of the remaining clock. He’ll be priority No. 1 for the New England defense in Super Bowl LX.

It was his worst line of the season by pure yardage, but as in the other game he dudded (23 yards against Max Brosmer’s Vikings), it came in a game the Seahawks choked the life out of early. His touchdown catch was phenomenal, a toe tap near the back of the end zone as Sam Darnold drifted out to his left. Playoff Best Ball drafters will hope the Rams or Bears can put up more of an offensive show against Seattle’s incredible defense in the NFC Championship game.

A floor game for the third-year star. Smith-Njigba managed no red zone targets as the Seahawks played very run-heavy, and his one near-catch out of that area was heavily contested in double coverage. Smith-Njigba will get next week off as the Seahawks await the Wild Card round results as the NFC’s No. 1 seed.