Seattle Seahawks saw it all unfolding, and some might have been initially thankfully that wide receiver DK Metcalf was no longer with the team. In Week 7, the Houston Texans had just intercepted a pass from quarterback Sam Darnold, and chaos began to unfold.
Derek Stingley Jr. has picked the pass and JSN attempted to tackle him or push him out of bounds. While doing so, Stingley pushed Smith-Njigba in the face causing the receiver's helmet to come off. JSN then slightly pushed Stingley as both went into the Houston sideline.
The players stopped and were standing for a second, but then Texans linebacker Christian Harris pushed Smith-Njigba into the Houston bench where the receiver sat. Things could have escalated quickly, and had Metcalf, a volatile player, still been with Seattle and the same situation unfolded, fisticuffs might have ensued.
Official Nate Jones makes sure Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba stays safe
They didn't. Still, Smith-Njigba was in a bit of a precarious situation because he was surrounded by Texans players, who were likely aggravated that their team was losing and Jaxon Smith-Njigba had been embarrassing them. JSN was made safe by an unexpected person.
Referee Nate Jones ran over, fought his way through Houston players, and put his arms to either side of where Smith-Njigba sat. Tempers cooled, but a huge thanks to that goes to Jones. But the referee is no stranger to the the physicality of the NFL. He played in the leage for eight seasons, four of them with the Dallas Cowboys.
Jones was a 5'10" and 185-pound defensive back who started 11 games in his career, and had six sacks and three interceptions. If anyone was needed to save the Seattle Seahawks wide receiver, Nate Jones was the one 12s would want.
This official is Nate Jones.
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) October 21, 2025
Jones was a DB at Rutgers, was a 7th round pick of the Cowboys in 2004, and had a 7 year NFL career.
He's been an official since 2019.
Kudos to him for this and kudos to the ESPN crew who named him on the MNF broadcast. pic.twitter.com/vkBwqbbens
Of course, the referee might tell you he was only doing his job. Smith-Njigba remained poised and allowed the situation to unfold without tryingto literally fight back. Fellow receiver Cooper Kupp had run over to him as well in an attempt to keep his teammate safe.
Of course, keeping Jaxon Smith-Njigba is extremely important to the Seattle Seahawks' goals this season. JSN is leading the NFL in receiving yards by nearly 200 yards through seven games. The Houston Texans were helpless against him too. The receiver had eight catches for 123 yards and a touchdown.
But Nate Jones should be respected for his awareness. He proved the value of NFL officials without ever having to throw a flag.