It was the Sam Darnold show late on for the Seattle Seahawks during their 23-20 walk-off win over NFC West rivals the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday Night Football, but the Pro Bowl quarterbacks knows he owes a debt of gratitude to his receivers, particularly a “big-play” threat he’s already established a strong “rapport” with in clutch situations.
Darnold heaped praise upon Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the prolific wideout’s role in what proved to be the game-winning drive in Week 4. Smith-Njigba made several highlight-reel worthy grabs, but none more significant than the 20-plus yard catch and dive out of bounds to position Jason Myers to kick the decisive field goal from 52 yards.
The play wasn’t a surprise to Darnold, who believes Smith-Njigba is “just comfortable in those moments. He showed that even in the San Francisco game. Obviously we didn’t get the job done when we played them the first game, but he showed his big-play ability not only in two-minute but throughout the game. We have that rapport to where we can trust each other with different routes and feeling leverage and all those things,” per ESPN’s Brady Henderson.
Those words echo the confidence Darnold has in JSN. Confidence that didn’t desert the Seahawks’ signal-caller even when his best receiver went most of three quarters without a catch at State Farm Stadium.
Sam Darnold Won’t Desert Jaxon Smith-Njigba Connection
Darnold made clear moments after the game, when speaking to the Thursday Night Football crew for NFL on Prime Video, why he continues to look Smith-Njigba’s way. As Darnold put it, JSN is “a great route-runner, he’s so fluid. Just the way that he, you know, gets in and out of breaks, it’s very predictable as a quarterback, but it’s not predictable to the defense.”
Those words are about trust. The trust Darnold has in his go-to target to make plays and make the QB’s job easier.
Darnold knows he can put the ball in any area and JSN can turn it into a splash play. Just like when he reeled in this 36-yarder on 3rd-and-6 in the final period.
Although the Seahawks didn’t turn this special connection into points, after Myers missed a 53-yard kick, the play personified the burgeoning chemistry between Smith-Njigba and Darnold.
The gifted pass-catcher described Darnold’s pass as “a perfect throw, honestly. Back shoulder throw. The corner was on top of me, so he just placed it perfectly, and it was an easy grab,” per Henderson.
Things were far from “easy” for Smith-Njigba earlier in the night, as he toiled without a catch, but earned his own viral moment for the wrong reasons. Fortunately, the former Ohio State stud rebounded the right way by making four catches for 79 yards during the last 15-and-a-bit minutes, but Smith-Njigba wasn’t the only receiver who made an impression on Darnold.
Seahawks Receivers Stepping Up for Their Quarterback
Nothing typified how Seahawks receivers are stepping up for Darnold quite as much as rookie Elijah Arroyo making a 32-yard contested catch late in the second quarter. The second-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft turned a Darnold throw on the run into something positive by out-jumping 6-foot-5 edge-rusher Josh Sweat for the ball.
Darnold was quick to praise young tight end Arroyo for justifying his decision to throw instead of run. The in-form passer told reporters, including Henderson, “I’m really happy he came down with that one because I think I had 20 yards in front of me of green grass. So I’m really happy he made that play.”
Although Darnold is content to credit his pass-catchers for his success, the quarterback’s own contributions aren’t lost on head coach Mike Macdonald. He knows Darnold’s performing at a high level, one good enough to keep the Seahawks in the thick of the NFC playoff picture.
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