Comedian Druski appeared on CBS Mornings on February 19, 2026, and said he reached out to Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba to apologize. This came after Druski mispronounced Smith-Njigba’s name on stage at the NFL Honors earlier in February.
Druski presented the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year award to Smith-Njigba. He intentionally fumbled the pronunciation of the last name several times, saying variations like “Nigiba” and others that drew criticism for sounding close to a racial slur. Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, who was co-presenting, stepped in to say the name correctly as “Njigba.”
Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) is interviewed after defeating the Los Angeles Rams in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) is interviewed after defeating the Los Angeles Rams in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
Smith-Njigba was not at the event because he waspreparing for Super Bowl 60, which the Seahawks won. He has spoken about the importance of his full name, which honors his family roots in Sierra Leone.
Druskitold the hosts, “I like to mess around and sometimes you can go too far.” He added, “I reached out and congratulations to him, the team on the Super Bowl. I think that was an amazing thing. I didn’t get any response back, but I did reach out, I tried.”
Class Act: Druski says he apologized to Jaxon Smith-Njigba for purposely misspronouncing his name at the NFL Honors.
“I think that was an amazing thing. I didn’t get any response back, but I did reach out, I tried.”
JSN deserved better from him and the NFL 🤦♂️ https://t.co/Wzzfc0DQmJ pic.twitter.com/M6YeuxPTg1
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 19, 2026
Druski wanted to be friendly, but he made a mistake. It’s important to understand and respect different cultures.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s incredible playoff performance
The moment drew quick backlash from the NFL community. Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu tweeted, “Druski lame.” The Seahawks PR account posted, “Put some respect on @Seahawks WR @jaxon_smith1’s name.” Former player Emmanuel Acho said on his show that the moment “was not about you” and stressed that names carry weight. He added, “Stop playing with other people’s names.”
Smith-Njigba won the award after a strong 2025 regular season, during which he led the NFL in receiving yards. He had 119 receptions for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 15.1 yards per catch. His performance helped the Seahawks reach and win Super Bowl 60.
Druski noted that comedy involves risks and not every attempt lands. He said walking the line means taking chances, but admitted it is not always successful.
The incident overshadowed what should have been a celebration of Smith-Njigba’s career year. No further public response has come from Smith-Njigba on the apology attempt. The Seahawks supported their player publicly during the Super Bowl parade and celebrations.