The looming question heading into the 2025-26 NFL season for the Seattle Seahawks was whether the gamble to swap out Geno Smith for Sam Darnold would be the right move. As it stands, there's no more questioning. Darnold has so far shown up, while Smith is struggling in Las Vegas.
Darnold has been otherwise excellent five games into the season, and the Seahawks are 3-2 to show for it. A strong reason Darnold is finding success on the field is due to the offensive weapons he has at his disposal, both in the backfield and out wide.
Trading DK Metcalf was surprising, to say the least, as he is a bona fide number one wideout. Bringing in Cooper Kupp as a free agent was a solid grab, despite age and potential injury concerns, but Kupp has shown up, too, like Darnold. That said, he isn't the player shining the brightest for Darnold. No, that would be Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Jaxon Smight-Njigba's stock is rising fast in year three
With one quarter of the season under wraps, Smith-Njigba is on pace to smash last year's career best 1,130 yards and 100 catches. His second season in the NFL was significantly better than his rookie year, and it's looking like he will again take a massive leap this year, given the current trajectory.
The absence of Metcalf has parted the waters for Smith-Njigba; there's no doubt about that. That said, the talented wideout has taken advantage in every way possible, and it's also why Darnold has looked as good as he has.
With Smith-Njigba rising so quickly in Seattle, the conversation must soon be had: where will he be amongst the NFL's top wideouts by the end of the season? Could he enter next season in the top ten? Is he on the trajectory of the elite? All fair questions.
While Smith-Njigba has not yet quite cracked the elite status, signs are emerging. Following the close of week five — the Seahawks' loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday — Smith-Njigba is behind only the Los Angeles Rams' Puca Nakua in a few key categories.
Aside from Nacua, Smith-Njigba leads the league in target shares (33.08%), indicating that of all the wideouts in the league, Smith-Njigba is receiving the second-most targets. Otherwise said, Darnold throws the ball to Smith-Njigba a lot.
He's also second in yards gained (534), and his number is almost 100 yards more than Justin Jefferson, who has the third most receiving yards (449). Smith-Njigba is also in the top five of wideouts in total EPA and targets/route run.
While his touchdown and reception numbers aren't at the top with some other great receivers, Smith-Njigba is unquestionably making a significant impact on Seattle's offense.
Of course, with the current state of Seattle's receiver room on the depth chart, Smith-Njigba is the number one receiver. But being a number one wide receiver like Jefferson, Ja'Mar Chase, A.J. Brown, or Amon Ra St. Brown — all of whom are elite number one wideouts — Smith-Njigba still has some work to do.
Nevertheless, there is no doubt that what we're seeing from him this season —Smith-Njigba is right on pace, making himself into an elite wide receiver. The happiest person in the locker room has to be Darnold, though.
To go from no top-tier wideouts at the beginning of his career with the New York Jets (or the Carolina Panthers), to now having had pass catchers like Jefferson and now Smith-Njigba in back-to-back seasons, is any quarterback's dream — dependable wideouts to make the game easier.
Darnold came to Seattle expecting to throw to Metcalf and ended up with Smith-Njigba. Smith-Njigba was expected to enter the season as the Seahawks' number two receiver and ended up with the opportunity to reach elite status, and he will get there.