Seahawks star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba received a hefty fine from the NFL after dunking the football over the field goal crossbar while celebrating a touchdown
17:47 ET, 25 Oct 2025Updated 17:47 ET, 25 Oct 2025
Jaxon Smith-Njigba dunking the ball over the cross bar during a celebration
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Jaxon Smith-Njigba was fined by the NFL for dunking the ball over the cross bar during a celebration(Image: Getty Images)
Jaxon Smith-Njigba took a page out of Travis Kelce’s book while celebrating a touchdown during the Seattle Seahawks’ 27-19 win over the Houston Texans — but the ‘Monday Night Football’ gesture came with a cost.
With less than five seconds remaining in the first quarter, Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold laced an 11-yard touchdown pass in between two Texans defenders and into the waiting arms of Smith-Njigba. Upon reeling in the contested catch, the star wide receiver leaped into the air and dunked the ball over the field goal crossbar. The act promptly drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that was enforced on the ensuing extra point attempt.
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He has now discovered further punishment, after the league also came down hard on the Giants and Cam Skattebo for a recent incident.
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On Saturday, the NFL handed down further punishment on Smith-Njigba, fining him $14,491 for “unsportsmanlike conduct (use of prop).” Speaking to reporters during a postgame press conference, he revealed that the costly celebration was a spur-of-the-moment decision rather than planned.
“That was very spontaneous,” Smith-Njigba said. “Definitely saw a lot of my favorites do it [growing up], but that was really on the spot right there.”
One of the players who made the dunk over the goalposts celebration famous was Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez. During the Kansas City Chiefs’ 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17 of last season, Kelce mimicked the iconic move after catching a historic touchdown pass.
Upon surpassing Gonzalez for most receiving touchdowns in Kansas City Chiefs franchise history (77), Kelce slammed the ball home before celebrating with teammates.
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Surprisingly enough, Smith-Njigba found himself at the center of another play on Monday that drew a hefty fine from the NFL.
Around halfway through the fourth quarter, Darnold was intercepted by Texans’ Derek Stingley, who ran it the other way for 17 yards. As Smith-Njigba attempted to bring him down, the cornerback latched onto his facemask while heading out of bounds.
A brief scuffle ensued on the sideline as Smith-Njigba found himself completely surrounded by Texans. Official Nate Jones rushed into the fray to protect the 23-year-old and shield him from opponents.
The illegal facemask cost Stingley $11,593 in fine money. Smith-Njigba, to his credit, insisted that he wasn’t concerned during the on-field skirmish despite not having his helmet.
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"Nah. I told 'em I felt comfortable over there," he said following the game. "It's Monday night, I'm not really worried about anything when it comes to my face and all that."
Addressing Jones’ heroic actions, Smith-Njigba added: "We had a nice little conversation. I took a deep breath, tried to enjoy the moment as much as I could, then run back to my sideline."
Though Smith-Njigba’s wallet took a hit, the Ohio State product still has much to smile about while in the midst of a career-best season. Through seven games, he leads the league in receiving yards (819) and yards per game (117.0) while also tied for third in targets (70).
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"A pretty good start," Smith-Njigba said. "Like I said, my motive has always been to win games, get into the playoffs, get a ring, helping this team win. Anything that I can do I'm going to do."