Jaxon Smith-Njigba is being paid handsomely for his breakout season.
The Seahawks star receiver and AP Offensive Player of the Year received a four-year, $168.8 million extension Monday, making him the highest-paid receiver in NFL history, ESPN reported.
Smith-Njigba will make an average of $42.15 million per year and includes $120 million in guaranteed money.
In his third year in the league, Smith-Njigba became one of the game’s most dangerous playmakers. He led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards on 119 catches while hauling in 10 touchdowns. He added another 199 in the playoffs to lead Seattle to its second Super Bowl in franchise history in February.
But that breakout didn’t come out of nowhere. In his first two years, Smith-Njigba showed his potential. After being drafted with the 20th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, he finished with 628 yards in his rookie season, then jumped to 1,130 yards in 2024.
He became the Seahawks’ top receiver after they traded DK Metcalf to the Steelers before the 2025 season.
Monday’s deal comes after comments Smith-Njigba made after the Super Bowl that he should be the NFL’s highest-paid receiver.
“I believe I deserve to be the highest-paid in my position,” Smith-Njigba told WFAA in his hometown of Dallas.
“Just what I give to the game and the community, I give it my all. And I think that’s worth a lot more.”
Now, that’s become a reality.
