Richard Sherman, San Francisco 49ers
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(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
On March 23,ESPN reported, citing sources, that the Seattle Seahawks and Jaxon Smith‑Njigba agreed to a four‑year, $168.6 million extension, making him the highest‑paid wide receiver in NFL history.
The contract reportedly averages $42.15 million per season and includes more than $120 million in guaranteed money, both marks topping previous wide receiver deals. With the new agreement, the two‑time Pro Bowler is under contract in Seattle through the 2031 season.
Seattle also exercised Smith‑Njigba’s fifth‑year option for 2027, a provision worth about $23.9 million. With the WR1 locked up for the foreseeable future, former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman shared his thoughts on the record-setting contract.
“The Seahawks did a great job getting this deal done early enough that it only looks like $32 million a year if you spread it over the lifetime of the deal, which is an absolute bargain for a receiver that just won Offensive Player of the Year,” Sherman said during the March 26 episode of“The Richard Sherman Podcast.”
“He is only trending up, only going to continue to grow rapport and relationship with Sam Darnold, and continue to thrive. I think this receiving corps is now a well-paid receiving corps.”
Nonetheless, Sherman did not think that the receiving corps for the Seahawks will need to produce in 2026 to show that 2025 wasn’t a fluke year.
“They’re going to have to produce. It’s always nice when you win and you do crazy things and you do great things and the expectations aren’t there. There’s not a huge burden of expectation, but when you get paid — like [Rashid] Shaheed, like Cooper Kupp and like Jaxon just got paid — now the expectations and the criticisms that come with those expectations start to ramp up. But they’re ready for it.”
Key Reason Seahawks Paid Jaxon Smith‑Njigba
Meanwhile, FS1’s Colin Cowherd explained why Seattle didn’t hesitate to commit to their star wideout in the long term.
“So why did [the Seahawks] pay him early, and why did they let four guys go?”Cowherd said on the March 23 edition of “The Herd.” “Well, let’s just concentrate on JSN, because a lot of young players are productive, but teams don’t sign them a year early. Why did they do it with JSN? No drama, no big ego.
“He is what every CEO is seeking; he is what every GM is seeking. He gets along with teammates. Quarterbacks, coaches, coordinators, he never steps in it. So many young athletes get terrible advice. JSN, huge talent, no drama.”
Jaxon Smith‑Njigba Warrants Historic Contract
Since being drafted by Seattle in 2023, Smith-Njigba has had 282 catches for 3,551 yards and has scored 20 touchdowns in 51 games for the Seahawks in his career,per StatMuse.
Smith-Njigba’s new contract sets a record for wide receivers, surpassing Ja’Marr Chase’s deal with theCincinnati Bengals, which averaged $40.25 million per year.
Following Chase, the top-paid receivers by average annual value are Justin Jefferson at $35 million, CeeDee Lamb at $34 million, DK Metcalf at $33 million, and Garrett Wilson at $32.5 million.
The 24-year-old had a breakout season in 2025, setting career highs with 119 receptions, 1,793 receiving yards, and 10 touchdown catches, which earned him first-team All-Pro honors in 2025. Moreover, he carried that form into the postseason, totaling 17 catches for 199 yards and two touchdowns in three games.