One cannot truly call Jaxon Smith-Njigba's 2025 season a "breakout." After all, in 2024, he had 100 catches, which tied the Seattle Seahawks single-season record, and 1,130 yards. The team might even hope that what he is doing in his third season is not an outlier.
It is simply the huge amount of production that the wide receiver has that is startling. He not only leads the NFL in receiving yards through Week 12, but no other receiver is even close. The Dallas Cowboys' George Pickens is nearly 300 yards less than JSN's 1,313.
It takes a village for one player to be great, of course. The player has to be working in a great scheme that fits him, have a quarterback who can consistently get him the ball in the right spots, and other players around him whom defenses have to account for.
Unsung Seahawks receiver is helping make Jaxon Smith-Njigba special
But it also takes some people that fly under the proverbial radar who help as well. In the case of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, one of those players is fellow wide receiver Dareke Young. JSN said as much when speaking to the media after putting up 167 receiving yards and two touchdowns on the Tennessee Titans in Week 12.
The receiver said after being asked what the key is to his excellence in catching deep passes, "(J)ust staying relaxed, staying calm. Me and Dareke (Young) and Coach Frizz (Frisman Jackson), we work on drills like that all the time, every single day. So you know, just bringing it to life."
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Talking about coach Jackson makes sense. He is Smith-Njigba's wide receivers coach with the Seahawks. For a highly productive receiver to not give flowers to his position coach would be strange.
But adding Young's name is quite surprising. Not because Young is a bad player who doesn't deserve to even be on the roster, but because he isn't the same size as JSN and doesn't do the same kinds of things as a receiver. In fact, Young being willing to work in drills and try to get better himself while helping a teammate speaks volumes about his place on the team.
Even more, Dareke Young appears to be helping JSN while still being on injured reserve. The wide receiver and special teams ace injured his quadriceps in Week 7 and won't return until at least Week 14. But he is clearly helping Jaxon Smith-Njigba in practice, and that is of utmost importance to the Seattle Seahawks.