In his last two games, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has started to show he can be an important part of the offense.
Smith-Njigba had his first 100-yard game in Week 2 against New England, catching 12 passes for 117 yards. But he truly stood out in Week 9, with seven catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns in a home loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He topped 100 yards again in his next game, recording 10 catches for 110 yards in Seattle’s win over San Francisco.
“It was just a matter of time,” Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf said. “Jaxon is a great receiver. It was just a matter of time before he really got his opportunity to shine, and I’m glad he did it in the fashion that he did.”
The Seahawks drafted Smith-Njigba 20th overall in 2023 after a standout career at Ohio State, where he had 95 receptions and 1,606 yards in his sophomore year. He had a solid rookie year, finishing with 63 receptions for 628 yards in 17 games.
But through 10 games this season, he has already accumulated 678 yards on 60 catches, despite sharing targets with Metcalf and veteran receiver Tyler Lockett.
Lately, Smith-Njigba has become a go-to option for quarterback Geno Smith, leading the team in targets in the last two games.
“We’re always going to have stuff in the game plan where he’s the primary guy,” coach Mike Macdonald said. “You see some of the stuff that’s on time, or he’s getting to the right spots. How we’re running some of the routes is able to free him up.”
Metcalf believes a big part of Smith-Njigba’s success comes from his relaxed style of play.
“That’s just how he plays the game. Very loose and ‘all right, I’m going to just be me out there,” Metcalf said. “I think that’s the best way to approach it, just be yourself and let the chips fall.”
Metcalf knew Smith-Njigba was special after seeing him play in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2022, when Smith-Njigba had 347 receiving yards and three touchdowns in Ohio State’s 48-45 win over Utah.
“That was all I need to see,” Metcalf said.
On Sunday, Smith-Njigba will face a familiar opponent from that game—Arizona Cardinals rookie Marvin Harrison, Jr. They were teammates at Ohio State for two seasons and both caught three touchdowns in the memorable Rose Bowl.
Smith-Njigba and Harrison are part of a group of Ohio State receivers who are making a mark in the NFL, with players like the New York Jets’ Garrett Wilson and New Orleans Saints’ Chris Olave also finding success.
“We take much pride,” Smith-Njigba said. “For the ones that are still there at Ohio State looking at us, or committed, we take much pride in that, to living up to the standard that the guys ahead of us had created.”
Smith-Njigba is determined to live up to that high standard in the NFL. Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith has seen the talent Smith-Njigba brings to the field and was impressed by his 180-yard performance against the Rams.
With these strong performances coming in just his second season, Smith believes there is much more to come from the 22-year-old.
“He was all over the place,” Smith said. “He played with extreme fire. Shoot, he was just doing his thing. That’s who he is. We’ve got to continue to build on that. He’s a guy who is only going to get better and (I) really appreciate playing with him.”
