Seattle Seahawks star Jaxon Smith-Njigba was protected by a referee as he sat helmetless on the Houston Texans' bench after an incident threatened to break out into a brawl
01:57 ET, 21 Oct 2025
A referee protected Jaxon Smith-Njigba as a scuffle made its way to the sideline
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A referee protected Jaxon Smith-Njigba as a scuffle made its way to the sideline(Image: ESPN)
A referee was applauded by fans on social media after he was spotted protecting star Jaxon Smith-Njigba during a scuffle in the Seattle Seahawks' late 27-19 win over the Houston Texans on Monday.
Smith-Njigba has emerged as one of the top wide receivers in the NFL, with the star building a rapport with signal caller Sam Darnold as the Seahawks continue to compete in the competitive NFC West. And against a tough Texans defense, the star wideout seemingly was difficult to stop.
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Among those tasked with stopping Smith-Njigba was Derek Stingley Jr. and it seemed as if the latter was not a fan of the former, especially after Smith-Njigba was penalized for a celebration earlier in the game. In the fourth quarter, Stingley made his frustration known.
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As Darnold looked for Smith-Njigba, Stingley was in the area and easily picked off a pass intended for the wide reciever. With Stingley running with the ball, he stiff-armed Smith-Njigba's face, causing him to lose his helemt as both men's momentum carried them to the sideline.
After the men separated from one another, a Texans player shoved Smith-Njigba to the bench, leading the star to throw his hands up in the air, signaling he was done with the confrontation. Soon, players from both teams began pushing and shoving directly in front of the helmetless 23-year-old.
To avoid Smith-Njigba getting hurt, a referee ran into the kerfuffle and shielded the star with his body as coaches and other officials went to disperse the crowd. On social media, the referee was praised by fans for his willingness to ensure Smith-Njigba remained safe.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba #11 of the Seattle Seahawks runs the ball after a catch against Derek Stingley Jr. #24 of the Houston Texans during the second quarter at Lumen Field on October 20, 2025 in Seattle, Washington
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Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Derek Stingley Jr. had been going back and forth throughout the entire game(Image: Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
A fan posted on X: "ref turned into security real quick never seen hustle like that from an official." Another added: "Didn’t have a helmet on, things could have went bad." Other fans joked that the referee was protecting Smith-Njigba because he could have had him on his fantasy team.
After the game, Smith-Njigba spoke on the incident and spoke in jest on the talk he had with the official. "We had a nice little conversation. And, you know, I took a deep breath and tried to enjoy the moment as much as I could. And ran back to my sideline," he told reporters.
He added: "I felt comfortable over there [on the Texans' sideline]. You know, it's Monday night. Not really worried about anything, you know, when it comes to, you know, pace and all that."
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In the end, Smith-Njigba had yet another impressive outing, finishing the game having notched 123 yards on eight receptions with one touchdown. His 819 receiving yards through seven weeks leads the league.
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What's more, his outing against the Texans marked the fifth time in seven games this season that the 23-year-old has recording 100 or more receiving yards.
No other player has notched three games with 100 or more receiving yards, according to Underdog NFL.
In his last three games, the star wideout has 24 receptions and 417 receiving yards to go along with three touchdowns, showing his chemistry with Darnold.