It was a dominant performance for Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Week 7. The 23-year-old recorded eight receptions for 123 receiving yards and one touchdown in the 27-19 win over the Houston Texans on October 20.
On October 25, the NFL released the Week 7 Gameday Accountability fines for player infractions. The fine schedule is agreed upon by both the NFL and NFLPA and provided to all players before the season begins.
Players cited for a violation have the right to appeal. Appeals are reviewed by officers, including former NFL players Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster, or Jordy Nelson, who are jointly appointed and compensated by the NFL and NFLPA.
For the Seahawks, Smith-Njigba was among the players fined this week. The Seattle standout drew the fine for unsportsmanlike conduct after celebrating a touchdown in the first quarter with just two seconds left, notably dunking the football over the crossbar.
As a result, the league fined Smith-Njigba $14,491 for the incident.
Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba Impresses
The fine was the only blemish on the night for the young wideout, who is garnering praise for becoming the Seahawks’ WR1 after the departure of DK Metcalf over the offseason.
Former NFL player Darius Butler didn’t hold back on the Ohio State product during an October 21 appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“He’s been the best receiver in football this season,” Butler said. “His connection with Sam Darnold—there were questions about whether Darnold was kind of a one-hit wonder in Minnesota—would it work in Seattle? Moving on from Geno [Smith], he’s been tremendous in this Klint Kubiak offense.
“[Darnold] came into this game leading the league in play-action passes, and the numbers with him throwing specifically to JSN are unbelievable. He broke the game open, and they jumped out to a 14-0 lead against the Houston Texans… You know, [No.] 11 is special. He’s been special. And that offense, just Sam Darnold, how he’s operating that offense in general. I only expect him to continue to get better.”
The Seahawks wideout has recorded over 100 receiving yards in five of his seven games for Seattle. He will look to continue this excellent form when the team comes off its bye week and face the Washington Commanders in Week 9.
Seahawks Know How Special JSN Is
Smith-Njigba’s standout season is drawing headlines across the NFL, but for his Seahawks teammates, calling him one of the best at his position comes as no surprise. They have long known the caliber of player in their midst.
“It’s not an easy thing to do what he’s been doing knowing that we come into games with opportunities for him to get the ball at all three levels, and defenses know that he’s going to be a target,” Cooper Kupp said in an ESPN article published on October 12.
“To consistently win over and over again when a defense, you know, is planning on trying to take him out of a game, it speaks volumes. It just shows the ability in the route running and being able to understand the offense well enough to be able to move around and be in different spots. He’s doing a really good job. He’s a really good football player.”
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