> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Record Deal in Tow, Jaxon Smith-Njigba ‘Ready to Attack’ as Seahawks’ Foundational Star - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/record-deal-jaxon-smith-njigba-ready-to-attack-seattle-seahawks-foundational-star/ - Published: 2026-03-26T00:20:35.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T05:56:07.000Z - Author: Corbin Smith - Tags: Features, Seahawks, Jaxon Smith-Njigba RENTON, Wash. - Nearly three years ago to the day, with the team holding two first-round picks thanks to the blockbuster Russell Wilson trade from March 2022, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider, former coach Pete Carroll, and several team scouts flew into Columbus to check out an Ohio State pro day loaded with a ridiculous abundance of future NFL talent. Drawing the most spectators, including Schneider and Carroll watching closely with significant questions at the quarterback position, Heisman Trophy finalist C.J. Stroud threw in front of scouts after bypassing the opportunity to do so at the NFL combine. Projected top-10 pick Paris Johnson also had no shortage of suitors watching him like hawks, though the Seahawks themselves were set at the tackle position after drafting Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas one year prior. But as Schneider took a close gander at Ohio State’s rich stable of pro prospects at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, nobody shined on the field during athletic testing, on-field drills, and post-workout interviews more than receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Wowed by his skill set and character, the renowned executive left the building with the belief Seattle didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of him lasting on the board for the team to select with the 20th overall pick. “I remember being at the Pro Day that day,” Schneider recalled. “And we were like, there's no way we're going to \[draft him\] - why are we meeting with this guy?” Once the draft kicked off in Kansas City a month later, following the selection of cornerback Devon Witherspoon fifth overall, Schneider and everyone else in the war room were left hanging onto nothing but hopes and prayers during an excruciating waiting period with 14 selections between their two first round picks. A Lombardi Trophy and Offensive Player of the Year award later, however, those prayers were answered emphatically as Smith-Njigba not only fell into the Seahawks’ laps, but the budding superstar will now call the Emerald City home long-term with a record-setting four-year, $168.6 million deal signed, sealed, and delivered. Speaking with reporters alongside Schneider and coach Mike Macdonald for the first time since becoming the highest-paid receiver in NFL history on Wednesday, on the heels of a historic 2025 campaign where he led the league with 1,793 receiving yards, the always humble Smith-Njigba expressed gratitude for his family as well as the Seahawks’ organization continuing to show great confidence in him as they have ever since he first arrived at the team facility, relieved that the landmark deal didn’t feature any drama or become prolonged with stressful negotiations along the way. “From top to bottom, it's a beautiful thing where God puts you in a place to succeed, and this is home for me,” Smith-Njigba smiled. “For me to be extended here for a few more years, I'm just excited and blessed and I understand where my feet are and understand the opportunity that's at stake, and just like always, I'm ready to attack.” When Smith-Njigba arrived with Witherspoon, the Seahawks believed they had landed two cornerstones for a bright future, and both players took on significant roles as rookies. Witherspoon earned the first of three consecutive Pro Bowl selections to kick off his career and though he started a bit slow without a ton of targets in the first half of the schedule, Smith-Njigba came on strong late as the third receiving weapon behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, finishing with 628 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Witherspoon continued to be a playmaking catalyst for Macdonald’s defense as a do-it-all defender in the secondary, wreaking havoc as a blitzer and thumping ball carriers in run support. But it was Smith-Njigba who took the biggest leap in his second season, taking the torch from Lockett as the clear No. 2 target in Seattle’s offense. His impressive growth resulted in the first 1,000-yard season of his career and six touchdowns, eventually leading to the team moving on from both Metcalf and Lockett during the ensuing offseason, thrusting him into the driver’s seat with big shoes to fill rolling into his third season. Maturing into a leader in the locker room largely by example with his work ethic and professionalism, as he watched the wideout dice up his talented defense on the practice field day in and day out with his precise route running, quickness, and football acumen, it became clear to Macdonald in the early stages of OTAs last spring that Smith-Njigba was on the cusp on a special season. “There's never like just one play because of the constant growth that's required, but I thought our defense was playing at a high level throughout camp and throughout the offseason program. We had a really hard time covering him,” Macdonald explained. “To Jax's credit, his ability to not just stand in one place and only be able to do one thing, to be able to move him around, understand how to run the whole route tree, the chemistry that's required with Sam \[Darnold\], that's a lot of work that it takes. And you could see it coming to life every day, and that was really exciting.” But while Macdonald saw a rising young talent ready to blossom, Smith-Njigba likely eclipsed the lofty expectations set forth by his coach. Thriving out of the shadows of two franchise greats in Lockett and Metcalf, he became a nightmare draw for even elite cornerbacks such as Houston’s Derek Stingley Jr. on a weekly basis, torching opponents with a league-high 42 explosive receptions while posting 13 games with at least 90 yards receiving, tied for the second-most in a single season. By the time the dust settled in early January, Smith-Njigba had joined Tyreek Hill and Calvin Johnson as the only players in NFL history with over 1,700 receiving yards and 15 yards per reception, and only he and Hill did so on fewer than 120 receptions. Remarkably, he also finished with the third-most receptions (60) on pass attempts traveling 10 or more yards through the air, and he managed to do so while posting an insanely efficient 69% catch rate, more than 15% higher than DeAndre Hopkins and Johnson, the only other two players to ever achieve the monumental feat. Along with entering rarified air alongside 2005 MVP Shaun Alexander as only the second Offensive Player of the Year in Seahawks history, Smith-Njigba became only the second receiver in franchise history to receive First-Team All-Pro distinction, joining exclusive company with Hall of Famer Steve Largent. Putting a cherry on top of the sundae before his 24th birthday, he hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in Santa Clara in February as Seattle throttled New England 29-13 at Levis Stadium. While there were plenty of financial hoops that had to be jumped through and planned for to make it happen, those accolades coupled with the respect Schneider, Macdonald, and everyone in the organization holds for Smith-Njigba as a person made it an easy decision for the Seahawks to make such a record-setting investment in a “foundational” piece of the puzzle. “We're super excited, everybody in the building,” Schneider said of Smith-Njigba in his opening statement, pivoting the conversation to a direct one to the newly-paid star. “We're all here for you, Jax. Have been from Day One. I know you'll be great moving forward. You're a great teammate, great person. The city of Seattle has to be jacked that he'll be with us for a long time here.” Considering everything Smith-Njigba accomplished last season at such a young age, it may be difficult to fathom what he must orchestrate to fulfill a worthy encore for Seattle next fall. After all, no receiver in team history had ever surpassed 1,400 yards in a season, let alone approach the 1,800-yard mark as he did while starring on a Super Bowl run. And there’s only been one player produce 1,700-plus receiving yards in consecutive seasons. It will be quite the climb to reach that pinnacle again in 2026. But with his new contract averaging north of $42 million per year, the most for a non-quarterback in league history, rather than seeing that number as something that could apply unwanted pressure on him and make it challenging to live up to the price tag, Smith-Njigba sees the payoff as just another stepping stone to further elevating his game. As he put it, adhering to everything he had been taught by his parents and siblings growing up, there’s “always more work to be done and another level to reach,” and he’s not afraid to chase a different level of greatness that has rarely been done or hasn’t been attained before, both on an individual and team level. Now granted the keys to the city, or at least a contract that matches courtesy of Schneider and the Seahawks, Smith-Njigba is just getting started in what the organization clearly believes can be a Hall of Fame trajectory. And with the lessons learned from those in his corner who continue to help guide him, he’s looking forward to shouldering the burden that comes with sitting on such a throne in the place that has truly become home. “I'm here to serve others, serve the Lord, and whatever these guys need from me, they know I'm willing to do. There's not enough words to show my excitement and show my love for the city and this organization, but you'll see it on Sunday.”