Last season was historic for the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba played a major role in making it happen. After enjoying the best year of his career, the star wide receiver has already shifted his focus to what comes next.
As Seattle opened training camp, Smith-Njigba made it clear that the rest of the NFL should expect even more from him.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Is Optimistic on Seattle Seahawks’ Future Going into Next Season
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Smith-Njigba said both he and the Seahawks are aiming to raise the bar again.
“Next step is to, you know, grow,” he said. “I want y’all to see a different level, almost a different player out there, and just kind of an upgrade version.”
The former Ohio State standout first built his reputation with polished route running before the Seahawks selected him with the 20th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
He finished his first season with 63 receptions for 628 receiving yards and 4 receiving touchdowns. Then, Smith-Njigba took a major leap in 2024 by crossing the 1,000-yard mark with 1,130 receiving yards in his second season.
BUILD YOUR OWN TOP 100: PFN’s FREE NFL Top 100 Builder
But his 2025 campaign reached another level as he caught 119 passes for 1,793 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns across 17 games. That production cemented his place among the league’s elite playmakers. According to PFN’s WR Impact Metric, he posted an impact score of 93.7 last season, ranking second in the league.
That breakout season brought plenty of individual and team success. Smith-Njigba earned his second Pro Bowl selection, collected his first Offensive Player of the Year award, and celebrated his first championship with the Seahawks.
BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM: PFN’s FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator
Now entering his fourth NFL season, he wants Seattle and himself to continue building on those achievements.
“In all ways,” he said, talking about improvement going into next season. “I always say I can get better in all areas. And I think year two with Sam Darnold and the receiver core that we have, just our group taking another step as we go into a new year. It’s something special and something that I feel like we can continue to grow.”
The Seahawks are entering the new season with plenty of belief after finishing with a 14-3 record. However, defending a title remains one of the toughest challenges in the NFL.
Still, Smith-Njigba remains determined to deliver another elite campaign.
“It’s going to be a new story, but we want to create a new story with this upcoming season,” he said. “It’s different. We have different guys, different people in the building. It’s going to be a unique story and a unique challenge, different from last year.”
For now, the Seahawks continue preparing for another demanding season instead of looking back. And if Smith-Njigba keeps building on his recent breakout, Seattle could once again rely on one of the NFL’s premier wide receivers for years to come.
