Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been nothing short of a superstar in the 2025 season. In his first season as a number receiver in the NFL, he is justifying the Seattle Seahawks’ faith in him after they traded away star wide receiver DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
On the season, Smith-Njigba has put up 50 receptions for 819 yards and four touchdowns. Smith-Njigba is not only the Seahawks’ leading receiver, but the NFL’s leading receiver as well.
The Seahawks will need to lean on Smith-Njigba tonight as it appears they will be without veteran receiver Cooper Kupp. On top of Kupp likely to miss the game, Seahawks receivers Jake Bobo and Dareke Young have already been ruled out as well. Smith-Njigba is in for a heavy workload, but that is nothing new for him this season.
Depth at WR
The Seahawks’ wide receivers look good on paper. As a unit, they have 1,769 yards and 12 touchdowns through seven games. However, Jaxon Smith-Njigba accounts for 819 of those yards, and the next closest receiver to him is Cooper Kupp with 293 receiving yards.
If Kupp is not active, then the next closest receiver to Smith-Njigba would be rookie Tory Horton with 118 receiving yards.
Still, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is not too worried about the Seahawks’ wide receiver. Ari Horton, in her October 31 article for Seahawks.com, wrote about how Macdonald views the team’s wide receiver depth.
“That’s why we say it’s a 70,” Macdonald said. “That’s why we say it’s the Ready Squad. We’re not just trying to come up with sweet sayings. We’re trying to build a deep team that’s ready to go play at a moment’s notice. So, if those guys were called upon, they should be excited for their opportunities, and let’s go. But you’re always competing out there.”
Macdonald then discussed how the receivers are always working on their craft and trying to get better each week, in case their opportunity comes their way.
“You’re working on your craft, you’re trying to sharpen the other side of the ball, you’re trying to develop your skills, and then you obviously want to stay ready for if opportunities present themselves,” Macdonald said. “What we’re trying to get across is like, ‘Hey, look, you can go force your way out on the field.’ If we can’t block here, we can’t cover you in practice, you keep doing that, and you keep stacking that, it’s like a guy in baseball, he just keeps hitting. It’s hard to keep them out of the lineup.”
Kupp Believes in JSN as a Leader
Without the veteran Cooper Kupp on the field, Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be the unquestioned leader for the Seahawks’ receivers in their game against the Washington Commanders.
Kupp has full belief in Smith-Njigba and the rest of the Seahawks receivers though.
Following the Seahawks’ win two weeks ago against the Houston Texans, Kupp spoke about how Smith-Njigba has brought a standard of excellence to the Seahawks’ receivers’ room. Seahawks.com provided a transcript of Kupp’s thoughts on Smith-Njigba.
“Yeah, there’s nothing routine about what he’s been able to do productivity-wise. It’s very difficult,” Kupp said. “That’s difficult. Takes a lot of work to be able to do that. I think that’s the standard. Whatever it is, man, whenever the number is called, you want to make the play. That’s our room in general. When your number is called, go out and make the play. He’s done a really good job of that.”
Smith-Njigba will now have to take that standard of excellence he’s set this season and push it to a whole new level, with the team relying on him heavily against the Commanders.
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