SAN FRANCISCO — It appeared Jaxon Smith-Njigba would have his work cut out for him to replicate the success he enjoyed in his first 1,000-yard receiving season as an NFL player in 2024.
Quarterback Sam Darnold, an eighth-year pro with his fifth team who has had his fair share of skeptics over the years, would be the one throwing to him now. The departures of proven veterans such as Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf figured to only bring more attention to Smith-Njigba, who would be playing opposite Cooper Kupp, fresh off a trio of injury-plagued seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.
The outcome? Smith-Njigba has thrived while helping guide the Seattle Seahawks (16-3) to an NFC championship — and with it, Super Bowl LX, where they’ll face the AFC-best New England Patriots (17-3) at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Sunday (6:30 p.m. on NBC and Peacock).
The third-year pro set the Seahawks record for receiving yardage (1,793) and catches (119) in a single season en route to being voted the league’s offensive player of the year for the 2025 regular season, an award announced Thursday night at NFL Honors.
The 6-foot, 197-pound Smith-Njigba racked up nine 100-yard receiving games this season, and he has continued to produce even as defenses focus on him more. In the Seahawks’ thrilling 31-27 win over the Rams in the NFC championship game two weeks ago, Smith-Njigba hauled in 10 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown.