The Seattle Seahawks are the reigning Super Bowl Champions and now must turn their attention to the future. Of course, their primary goal is winning it again. However, as is the case every year, the 2026 Seahawks are going to look different from the 2025 squad.
Super Bowl LX MVP, Kenneth Walker, signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. Multiple other players have already or will find new homes in free agency as well.
But the most important aspect of winning teams is that they retain their very best players. And the Seahawks ensured that they will have Jaxon Smith-Njigba for at least the next two seasons by exercising his fifth-year option for 2027.
Is Jaxon Smith-Njiba worth the fifth-year option for the Seattle Seahawks?
Seattle Seahawks, Jaxon Smith‑Njigba, NFL
Dec 7, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) runs for a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
On Friday, it was reported that Seattle picked up the fifth-year options of both Smith-Njigba and cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Both were drafted in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, so both had fifth-year club options that needed to be picked up this off-season. Had Seattle not picked up the options, both players would be entering the final year of their rookie contracts.
Smith-Njigba is going to earn $2.7 million in 2026 as part of the rookie contract that he signed in 2023. He also has $1.8 million of his signing bonus counting against Seattle’s salary cap this year.
However, on the fifth-year option, Smith-Njigba will make nearly 10 times as much: $23.9 million for the 2027 season.
One has to assume that, despite the staggering increase, the price is more than worth it. After all, Smith-Njigba is already a two-time Pro Bowl selection. Additionally, he was a First Team All-Pro and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2025 after accumulating 119 receptions for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns.
His 1,793 receiving yards led the NFL.
These numbers alone more than justify the $23.9 million salary. In fact, the salary should be considered a bargain based on how JSN has performed up to this point in his career. With many of the top wide receivers in the NFL getting between $30-40 million a season, having him for under $25 million in 2027 is a steal.
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