There are potential downsides to any major NFL contract, but as these things go, the one the Seattle Seahawks just reached with Jaxon Smith-Njigba is virtually bulletproof.
Sure, you can argue that no non-quarterback is worth the amount John Schneider gave the reigning NFL offensive player of the year. There are other general managers (Hint: his initials are JJ) who would have drawn out the negotiations. The fact is, Schneider was not required to move this quickly on an extension for JSN.
But he did, and that’s why Schneider is also the reigning GM of the year. This was the absolute right move for Seattle. They rewarded one of their own. They did it quickly and without melodrama.
Seattle Seahawks' Devon Witherspoon should be next in line for a major new contract
They won’t get the weeks and weeks of coverage on SportsCenter that Dak or CeeDee of Micah received. But they may well win another Super Bowl. By giving Jaxon Smith-Njigba a record- breaking deal, Schneider is showing that he rewards success.
And by doing it so quickly, he is clearing the way for a similar extension for JSN’s defensive counterpart, Devon Witherspoon.
Schneider’s draft haul over the last four years is the best in the NFL. That – along with a few smart trades and free agency moves – is why Seattle is a champion. And even in the middle of some sensational draft classes, nothing can rival the first round of 2023.
JSN was Seattle’s native pick – number 20 overall. He was the first receiver off the board. Earlier, Schneider had gotten Spoon at five, part of the windfall of the Russell Wilson trade.
According to the Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranking for 2025, both JSN and Spoon graded out at over 90. That is elite. All-Pro elite. Hall of Fame elite, assuming they maintain that pace.
The JSN extension comes with all its own benefits – the main one being Seattle avoids what happened in Washington last offseason with Terry McLaurin. But the ripple effect is even more important.
Schneider is now free to work on the Witherspoon deal. We can expect it will exceed the four-year/124 million contract the Los Angeles Rams just gave to newly acquired Trent McDuffie. It is entirely justified.
McDuffie is an excellent corner. Spoon is better. More to the point, we already know how Spoon fits into Mike McDonald’s defense. It is a defense that prizes versatility and play-making. There is no cornerback in the NFL better at those parts of the game than Devon Witherspoon.
The Rams are betting that McDuffie can make them a Super Bowl champ. Schneider does not have to guess.
Will the salary cap become an issue? Of course it will. League-leading contracts for two non-QB positions will force Schneider and Joey Laine to get creative. Fortunately, they are capable of doing that. Extending Spoon on the heels of this JSN extension may cause the team to cut a player or two before they want to.
It may cause Schneider to take a cautious approach in free agency. We have already witnessed that this season. He has made a few moderately-big moves – re-signing Rashid Shaheed and Josh Jobe – but has mostly tinkered around the edges of his roster. Now we know why.
And let’s be clear – extending the best receiver and the best cornerback in the NFL (neither of whom has passed his 26th birthday) is far more beneficial to an NFL team than gambling on a player like Maxx Crosby or Jaelan Phillips.
The salary cap continues to go up and up. If we have learned anything over the past couple of decades, it is that getting deals done quickly with your core players is a good thing. It gives you stability. It allows for planning based on certainty and not on guesswork. And of course, it keeps great players in your uniform.
So is there a potential downside to the JSN deal, or to the one that may be coming for Spoon?
Sure. But they are dwarfed by the benefits. Once again, John Schneider is showing the rest of the NFL how to manage a roster.