Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
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(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The Seattle Seahawks won Super Bowl LX, but the celebration has now come and gone for the front office, as they need to make decisions on key players regarding pending free agents or those who need new contracts soon.
One of the players who’s looking for an extension is Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who showed this past 2025 NFL season that he’s a No. 1 receiver. Smith-Njigba had 119 catches for 1,793 yards and scored 10 touchdowns in 17 regular-season games in 2025, per StatMuse.
Amid Smith-Njigba’s comments on believing he should be the league’s highest-paid wide receiver, FS1’s Colin Cowherd shared his thoughts on whether the Seahawks should go through with that.
“We talk about this a lot in football, that these windows with a hard cap, they last very briefly,”Cowherd said on the Feb. 23 edition of “The Herd.” “… The windows close very quickly because guys get hurt. So Jaxon Smith‑Njigba,who there’s an argument he’s the best receiver in football right now, of the Seahawks, is now eligible for a contract extension.
“But this is the downside to winning the Super Bowl. Everybody wants to get paid, and most want to get paid a lot, and they want to get paid early, and he certainly is worthy of it. So that’s why you have to take advantage of these windows that open.”
What Did Jaxon Smith-Njigba Say About His Contract?
Smith-Njigba is eligible for a contract extension and coming off a season in which he won the 2025 AP Offensive Player of the Year and a Super Bowl, now is a good time for his representatives to talk with the Seahawks.
While the wide receiver isn’t in a rush, he does have his sights set on resetting the market for players at his position.
“I’m really not too pressed right now to get it done,“ Smith-Njigba said in a recent interview with WFAA (h/tESPN). “I know my time is coming, and when we get it done, it’s going to be a great deal. God’s timing is perfect timing, so whenever that may come, we’ll be ready for it. I believe I deserve to be the highest paid in my position. Just what I give to the game and the community, I give it my all, and I think that’s worth a lot more.”
Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals became the NFL’s highest-paid receiver by average annual value, earning $40.25 million per year with a four-year, $161 million extension signed last March. Meanwhile, Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings ranks second at $35 million per year.
Seahawks Could Lose Key Player This Offseason
Moreover, Cowherd believes that with Smith-Njigba’s contract extension looming and Sam Darnold’s cap hitgoing up,this couldresult in them saying goodbye to their Super Bowl LX MVP.
“So this year and next year, the Seahawks are stacked, butit should be noted that Sam Darnold’s cap hit goes from $13 million this year to $38 million next year,” Cowherd added. “It triples. And that’s still reasonable when you look at the quality of play from Darnold. But Kenneth Walker III, probably not a Seahawk next year.Kenneth Walker III was Seattle’s MVP in the Super Bowl and hugethrough the playoffs.
“He has a history of getting banged up. He was healthy and productive through the playoffs… But Darnold’s cap hit triples from this year to next. And Kenneth Walker III is probably going to be gone. So JSN is one of three or four positions and players you absolutely have to keep.”