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Jaxon Smith-Njigba is entering the most important season of his entire football career: A "contract" year

At Ohio State, teammates Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave called Jaxon Smith-Njigba the best receiver on the team. Given the careers that those two have had so far and the $32.5 million per season contract that Wilson recently signed with the Jets, JSN’s next mission is to prove that he can also be the highest-paid receiver to ever come out of Ohio State.

But is Smith-Njigba on trajectory to be a top-5 paid NFL receiver? What does JSN need to do in 2025 in order to force the Seahawks hand when he becomes extension eligible in 2026?

"Jaxon is a cold-blooded man, man," Wilson said before the 2023 draft. "That boy is, we call him 'The Natural.' He's got hands, he's got feet that will throw you by, make you miss. He'll do the laundry for you. Jaxon's cold, man. I'm confident that wherever he goes, he's going to make a big impact early."

How much money would Seattle save — or be at risk of overspending — by extending Smith-Njigba if he has a breakout season in 2025?

In today’s NFL, it is not too soon to be asking these questions going into a first round pick’s third season if he has performed up to expectations. Although the Seahawks hold JSN’s rights through 2027 (if they pick up his fifth-year option) and could franchise tag him for three more years after that, as in the case of Wilson it is far more common to move things ahead as early as possible rather than wait and risk a holdout or a higher price tag.

This is a preview of what Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s extension could cost in 2026 if he’s as good as he has the potential to be in 2025 and why fans hoping to put it off may have to accept that young NFL players don’t want to wait: