Jaxon Smith-Njigba contract update: ‘I think I deserve to be the highest-paid’ WR in NFL

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba said he deserves to be the highest paid at his position following a career year. The former Ohio State standout was a huge part in Seattle’s success in 2025, en route to a Super Bowl LX title.

In 17 games this year, Smith-Njigba had 119 catches for 1,739 yards, 10 touchdowns and 15.1 yards per catch. His previous career highs (in 2024), were 100 catches for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns.

So while Kenneth Walker was the MVP in Super Bowl LX, Smith-Njigba is a valuable piece. Plus, if Walker walks away this offseason, Smith-Njigba is that much more important to the Seahawks’ offense.

“I’m really not too pressed right now to get it done,” Smith-Njigba said, via WFAA. “I know my time is coming and when we get it done it’s gonna be a great deal. God’s timing is perfect timing, so whenever that may come we’ll be ready for it.

“I think I deserve to be the highest-paid at my position, just what I give to the game and the community, I give it my all. And I think that’s worth a lot, lot more. I would play this game for free. I love this game so much, but you don’t have to. I’m learning to be a good businessman, and we need that check at the end of the day.”

As far as where the negotiations stand, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler provided more on Smith-Njigba Saturday morning. Here was the latest from SportsCenter.

“Well, I can tell you that Seattle has contemplated trying to sign JSN to a new deal, and possibly been doing it before free agency starts,” Fowler said. “So there’s a notion there, like, hey, let’s get ahead of this a little bit, because he’s got the fourth year of his rookie deal coming up, and then you can use the fifth year option, so you got two years of, like, rookie scale money, wiggle room to offset, like, what’s going to be a huge salary cap when they add that $40 million per year, whatever it’s going to be on a new deal.

“So they’re trying to be proactive, work ahead a little bit. They got Devon Witherspoon, star cornerback. They’ve got to figure out a similar situation. Rashid Shaheed is a free agent. They want to bring back the speedy wide receiver. So the Seahawks, it’s going to be interesting, because they want to keep the band back together for another Super Bowl run, but it’s going to look a little bit different. (Jaxon Smith-Njigba) will be there, and probably under a new deal.”