Fresh off a Super Bowl title and a record-setting season, Seattle Seahawks star wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba is reportedly set to become the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history.
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Smith-Njigba and the Seahawks have agreed to a four-year, $168.6 million contract extension, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday morning.
Smith-Njigba’s deal averages $42.15 million per year and includes more than $120 million guaranteed, according to Schefter. Both are records for a wide receiver.
The previous high-water mark for a wide receiver belonged to Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase, who inked a four-year, $161 million deal in March 2025 that averaged $40.25 million per year.
By average annual value, Smith-Njigba is now the fourth-highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL behind Green Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons ($46.5 million), Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson ($45 million) and Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt ($41 million).
Smith-Njigba’s new deal keeps him under contract with Seattle through 2031. The record-setting extension came just three days after the Seahawks exercised the fifth-year option on Smith-Njigba’s rookie contract for 2027. Over The Cap projects his base salary for that season to be $23.85 million.
Smith-Njigba is the first of two 2023 first-round draft picks who could receive massive extensions from the Seahawks this offseason. Three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who Seattle drafted at No. 5 overall in 2023, could also be in line for a top-of-the-market deal.
Smith-Njigba is coming off a spectacular campaign, earning AP Offensive Player of the Year honors after piling up a league-high and franchise-record 1,793 receiving yards, which were the eighth-most in a single season in NFL history. He became just the third NFL player to top 1,700 receiving yards at age 23 or younger, joining Isaac Bruce and Justin Jefferson. He also tallied a franchise-record 119 receptions and 10 touchdown catches.
Smith-Njigba finished with 1,992 receiving yards across both the regular season and postseason, which is the third-highest mark in NFL history. He had a massive performance in the NFC Championship game, hauling in 10 catches for 153 yards and a TD to propel the Seahawks past the archrival Los Angeles Rams 31-27 en route to their franchise’s second Super Bowl title.
It’s been a rapid ascent for Smith-Njigba since the Seahawks selected him out of Ohio State with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
As a rookie, Smith-Njigba finished with 63 receptions for 628 yards and four touchdowns. He then took a massive leap in 2024, recording 100 catches for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns to finish 12th in the NFL in receiving yardage.
Then, after Seattle traded star receiver DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March 2025, Smith-Njigba took over as the Seahawks’ undisputed No. 1 wideout and authored one of the most productive receiving seasons in NFL history.
Even more impressive was that Smith-Njigba’s historic campaign came despite Seattle having the league’s third-highest run rate. He accounted for a whopping 44.1% of the Seahawks’ receiving yards and 30.6% of their total yardage during the regular season.
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