Seahawks extend Jaxon Smith-Njigba
The numbers are in
On Saturday, I wrote that I expect the Seahawks to work quickly on a contract extension for Jaxon Smith-Njigba and projected a four-year, $164 million deal. On Monday, the Seahawks announced that they have signed JSN to a contract extension worth $168 million over four years.
Ironically, I made a mistake in my math that made me slightly more accurate in my prediction: I wrongly stated that he’d be making $42 million per season when I should have said $41 million based on the numbers I projected. JSN actually is making $42 million per season, or slightly more.
The deal also contains $120 million guaranteed.
JSN’s record-setting wide receiver contract should hold up as the benchmark for however long it takes the Los Angeles Rams to come to an agreement with Puka Nacua. In any case, this surpasses the four-year, $140 million deal that Seattle agreed to with Russell Wilson in 2019.
Seven years later, the Seahawks are paying a wide receiver more than their highest-paid quarterback of all-time.
What are your thoughts on the JSN contract?
As I wrote on Saturday, if ever there was a player fans could believe in over the next four years, it would be Smith-Njigba. He’s not just a flash in the pan and his skills as a receiver to consistently get open despite not being the fastest or the biggest pass catcher in the league do suggest that he can repeat the Offensive Player of the Year season he just had … at least to some degree.
Even if he doesn’t win the award every year.
And as we touched on in Sunday’s Jake Bobo article, as Seattle mulls over if they should pay that receiver a little under $3 million per year, the Seahawks aren’t teeming with other options for Sam Darnold. The team’s offensive skill players were good enough to win the Super Bowl last season, perhaps they will win the Super Bowl next season, but JSN stands out in a way that no other current NFL skill player stands out on a championship contender.
Smith-Njigba was the only Seahawks to go over 600 receiving yards.
Kenneth Walker has gone to Disneyland and never came back. Zach Charbonnet has little standing in his way in the backfield if and when he comes back.
At this point, I’d say A.J. Barner is the Seahawks’ number two receiver/skill player.
Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing — Barner’s been great and he could become greater — but there’s only one JSN. The Seahawks look to keep the one JSN as their number one for as long as they can.
If anyone is balking, it's important to remember that if you factor in the 2 years left on his rookie contract after the 5th year option, it comes closer to 32M than 42.5M per year.
I will forever be shocked at the numbers with new contracts as the cap goes up. JSN is worth it. In spite of the 49er and Rams fans saying, "there went your championship window" on X, all the other 31 teams would have signed this.