Jaxon Smith-Njigba has become one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, but like every player growing up, he modeled himself after some elite players he watched on TV. In the case of the Seattle Seahawks superstar, three of those players were Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals, Antonio Bryant of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Dez Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys.
JSN spoke his truth recently after training camp and was asked by Hawk Blogger's Brian Nemhauser about what kind of wideout Smith-Njigba wanted to be. The receiver said he didn't necessarily see himself as one type of player, but what he liked about the other three players mentioned above was their versatility.
Nemhauser posted JSN's answer on X, and it got the attention of Bryant, who responded by writing, "Love and respect always for JSN!"
Cowboys legend Dez Bryant drops a ton of respect on the Seattle Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba
The NFL is a fraternity, of course, but at its heart, every position group is different. No one understands better what guys have to go through to earn a roster spot and then do well in games than those who play the same position. Jaxon Smith-Njigba might be as good as he is because he studied guys like Dez Bryant, but Bryant knows how much work JSN has to put in.
Of course, while they are completely different types of receivers, Smith-Njigba also has the wise voice of Cooper Kupp in his own locker room. Kupp was a superstar for the Los Angeles Rams, but dealt with injuries and inconsistency, the kind that catches up to most receivers at some point.
Smith-Njigba dealt with a bit of an ankle issue in the Super Bowl, and his production was somewhat limited because of that. Thankfully, Seattle was so far ahead for much of the game that it didn't need the wideout to be as brilliant as he had been for much of the season.
Love and respect always for JSN! https://t.co/2WzLtacifn
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) July 26, 2026
Not that his injury matters moving forward, though he could get hurt at some point. Leaving that bit of pessimism aside, what will continue to make Jaxon Smith-Njigba effective for the Seattle Seahawks is what he values the most: Versatility. He can line up in the slot and on the outside, and likely in ways Seattle hasn't shown yet. Maybe he can even line up at running back.
Whatever he does, one can be sure that a legion of young football players are watching him and hoping to be him one day. Just like Smith-Njigba watched Dez Bryant, and now he is accomplishing things that even Bryant didn't do.
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