The Seattle Seahawks have had a number of very good receivers in their history. Steve Largent is arguably one of the best five receivers ever. At the time he retired, he was the NFL's all-time leader in receiving yards. He was also extremely productive at a time when teams did not throw the ball as much.
That has changed, of course. Plus, Seattle throws the ball more than nearly every other team based on percentage. In 2024, the team has thrown the ball the fifth-most times in the league, based on percentage. One reason for the Seahawks to want to throw more is the emergence of Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
As a rookie last season, JSN was inconsistent in production, and former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron appeared to be confused about how best to use the new wideout. The receiver ran shorter routes earlier in the season which limited his ability to put up many yards. As the season grew old, Smith-Njigba was more impactful but still did not consistently produce.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba having a season for the ages for the Seattle Seahawks
That changed in his second season. After fellow receiver DK Metcalf had three 100-yard games early in the season, teams adjusted to what Metcalf was doing in new OC Ryan Grubb's scheme. Metcalf stopped having as many explosive plays. Meanwhile, veteran Tyler Lockett was slowly becoming far less important to the offense overall.
If JSN had not begun to emerge as a real threat, the offense would have been even further worse off than it currently is. Smith-Njigba's season has been one of the best in Seahawks history.
Heading into Week 18, he has 96 receptions, four off the all-time Seattle mark set by Tyler Lockett in 2020. Should Smith-Njigba get five catches in Week 18, he would not only break Lockett's record, but he would also be just the second Seahawks receiver ever to have 100 or more catches in a season.
JSN has 1,121 receiving yards in 2024, but he could quickly rise up the leaderboard with even a decent game against the Los Angeles Rams. Should he have 80 yards receiving, he would move up to sixth for single-season receiving yards. Should he have 120, he would rank third.
He will likely enter the 2025 season as the Seahawks' WR1, surpassing Metcalf. Lockett will need to restructure his current deal, retire, or be released because as the clear WR3 now, he is too expensive to keep around with a cap hit of $30 million. No matter what, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the long-term alpha among Seattle receivers, and his 2024 season could be on the low end of how productive he is over the next several years.