Projecting Jaxon Smith-Njigba's next contract as Seahawks star needs to get paid

The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl behind a dominant defense, but the offense featured no shortage of talent in its own right. Sam Darnold finally broke through on the postseason stage, Kenneth Walker III won Super Bowl MVP, and oh yeah — Jaxon Smith-Njigba might be the best wide receiver in football, depending on whom you ask.

In just his third season, JSN exploded for a league-leading 1,793 receiving yards on 119 catches, scoring 10 touchdowns. His 14.5 yards per touch also led the NFL. There was not a more explosive playmaker — a more electric and elusive athlete in the open field. And now, as he nears the end of his rookie deal, the Seahawks will have to pay a price (literally) for his dominance.

Can the Seahawks sign Jaxon Smith-Njigba to a contract extension?

A first-round pick back in 2023, JSN is extension-eligible this offseason, and it's hard to imagine the Seahawks passing up the opportunity to lock him up for the remainder of his prime. Klint Kubiak's departure as OC raises some questions about the offense moving forward, but Darnold and Smith-Njigba provide such a solid foundation. Walker, a free agent, is expected to re-sign eventually, too.

That said, it's easier said than done to negotiate an extension with such a talented player. Smith-Njigba only just turned 24 years old. He's an ascending talent. There's a lot of meat left on the bone, proverbially speaking. It feels like every summer, the best free agents and extension candidates reset the market with historic contracts. JSN will want to set a new high bar for wide receivers — and he has the résumé to do it. How will Seattle's front office, with so many hard financial decisions to make in the aftermath of a Super Bowl run, acquiesce?

For his part, JSN sounds rather laissez-faire about the whole situation.

"I'm really not too pressed right now to get it done," he told WFAA's Jonah Javad (h/t NFL.com). "I know my time is coming and when we get it done it's gonna be a great deal. And, you know, God's timing is perfect timing. So, whenever that may come, we'll be ready for it, and I think I believe I deserve to be the highest paid in my position. Just what I give to the game and the community, you know, I give it my all. I think that's worth a lot."

The lack of pressure from Smith-Njigba is a positive, as it should allow both sides to work through negotiations in a more harmonious fashion than (and this is just a random example) Brandon Aiyuk with San Francisco a couple years ago. The Seahawks want JSN. He wants to stick around. There is no friction here (yet).

He does, however, hold himself in high esteem.

"I deserve to be the highest paid [wide receiver]," he told the Seattle Times.

Seattle will be on the hook for a lot of money sooner than later. Here's how the most expensive contracts at the wide receiver position stack up.

Top 10 WR contracts in the NFL today

Justin Jefferson is the only receiver on this list to win NFL Offensive Player of the Year within his first three seasons. He put up 1,809 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 13.9 yards per touch, in his third campaign. Jefferson came out of the gate a bit faster and reached loftier heights, albeit without the sort of postseason success that JSN recently experienced.

That is the comparison point, though, which speaks to how dominant Smith-Njigba was last year. Jefferson is widely hailed as the best wide receiver in football, but a rocky 2025 campaign (by his nigh-impossible standards) opens the door for a new standard-bearer.

Jefferson reset the market in 2024. Chase reset it again last summer, eclipsing Jefferson by more than $20 million in total salary. It's worth noting that Chase received less guaranteed money, but it's hard to imagine the Bengals opting out of his contract. Cincinnati also waited until after Chase's fourth season — a landmark 1,708-yard, 17-touchdown run — to extend him. The Seahawks are potentially re-upping JSN after his third season, with less evidence of sustained greatness. All the signs point up, of course, but the Seahawks will hope to exert some leverage in these negotations.

It's also worth noting that Rams wideout Puka Nacua, probably JSN's closest peer in the "next generation" of great receivers, is also due for an extension this offseason. Meaning two players could be vying, in theory, to become the highest-paid player at their position. Don't be shocked if this drags out, purely because JSN wants to see Nacua's number and top it (or vice versa).

Predicting Jaxon Smith-Njigba's next contract

Final prediction: Four years, $165 million ($82.5 million guaranteed)

The Seahawks aren't at risk of losing Smith-Njigba this summer, but there is a risk of upsetting him and souring the relationship long term if both sides can't come to an agreement. Paying him the richest contract in wide receiver history may sound like an extreme measure — perhaps even an overreaction to one special season, especially so early in his career — but it's just what the market dictates.

JSN "deserves" it, to use his own words. Seattle won a Super Bowl and now faces the unenviable task of paying all those high performers who made it happen. Such is life for the league's best teams. Should Smith-Njigba receive the largest wide receiver contract ever, the Seahawks will still find avenues to hedge their bets.

Guaranteed money is never an exact science, but let's say that Seattle guarantees roughly half of JSN's record-breaking extension. That means there is still a non-disastrous out, should his production hit a wall. Jefferson ($88.7 million) would still hold the record for highest volume of guaranteed money at signing, which feels right.

Whether Nacua can come in and beat that number, especially given the complex state of L.A.'s cap sheet in recent years, will be a fascinating storyline to monitor. At the end of the day, Smith-Njigba probably can't complain much regardless. This is life-changing, generational money.