The Seattle Seahawks look to have found a superstar in Jaxon Smith-Njigba with the wide receiver taking a big jump in his third year of his career since becoming the number one option
10:00 ET, 02 Nov 2025
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Jaxon Smith-Njigba is on pace to have the best single-season from a wide receiver in NFL history
The Seattle Seahawks put a lot of faith in Jaxon Smith-Njigba heading into the 2025 campaign after a whirlwind offseason, that saw them trade away DK Metcalf and Geno Smith, while also moving on from Tyler Lockett.
Lockett and Metcalf will go down as two of the Seahawks' greatest-ever wide receivers, with Smith-Njigba being behind them on the depth chart through his first two years in the league. But in his second season, he emerged as the number one target, quietly having over 1,100 receiving yards in a struggling offense.
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This year, Smith-Njigba has dominated under new quarterback Sam Darnold in an improved offensive system. The 23-year-old leads the league in receiving yards, with Ja'Marr Chase having 99 yards less while playing a game more. Smith-Njigba is on pace to break Calvin Johnson's all-time receiving yards record should he continue on his current trajectory.
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Smith-Njigba has 819 yards in seven games so far this season, for an average of 117 per game. He has also registered four touchdowns.
Should he continue on that pace, he will finish on 1,989 - meaning he is in with the chance to become the first wide receiver ever to break 2,000 yards on a season.
The Seahawks offense has been reliant on him through their first seven games, with Cooper Kupp being second on the team in receiving yards with 293.
While still in his third year in the league, Smith-Njigba is not yet eligible to sign a contract extension but will be able to do so at the end of the 2025 campaign. So how does his contract rank amongst other NFL receivers, and when will be sign his extension with the Seahawks?
NFL's highest-paid wide receivers
Ja'Marr Chase is far and away the highest-paid receiver
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Ja'Marr Chase is far and away the highest-paid receiver
Ja'Marr Chase - $40.25m (Bengals)
Justin Jefferson - $35m (Vikings)
CeeDee Lamb - $34m (Cowboys)
DK Metcalf - $33m (Steelers)
Garrett Wilson - $32.5m (Jets)
Terry McLaurin - $32.33m (Commanders)
AJ Brown - $32m (Eagles)
Amon-Ra St. Brown - $30.1m (Lions)
Brandon Aiyuk - $30m (49ers)
Tyreek Hill - £30m (Dolphins)
...
Deebo Samuel - $17.5m (Commanders)
Kalif Reymond - $5.25m (Lions)
59) Jaxon Smith-Njigba - $3.6m (Seahawks)
How much could Smith-Njigba make when he signs new contract
Should Smith-Njigba continue at his current pace, he could become one of the highest-paid players at the wide receiver position.
The receiver will have had only one year of elite play, where as the likes of Chase, Jefferson and Lamb have dominated each and every year they've been in the league - which could hurt Smith-Njigba's negotiations when it comes to asking for the most money at the position.
He could make anywhere between $30-45m per year when he signs his extension.
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Jaxon Smith-Njigba has played his best with Sam Darnold at quarterback
When is Smith-Njigba likely to sign new contact
While Smith-Njigba is eligible to sign a new deal in 2026, it's unlikely that any deal happens at this point - unlike many others in his draft class.
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This is because of the Seahawks' policy in not signing players to extensions with more than two years left on their contract. Because Smith-Njigba was a first round draft pick, the Seahawks will have the ability to give him a fifth-year - something they'll almost certainly look to exercise to keep him under contract.
That means that the 2027 offseason is likely to be the time when he is signed.
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