Seahawks Lock Up Jaxon Smith Njigba With a Record Extension That Resets WR Market Again

The wide receiver market just moved again, and the Seattle Seahawks made the push.

Seattle has reached agreement with wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a four year, $168.6 million contract extension that makes him the highest paid wide receiver in NFL history, according to sources. The deal averages $42.15 million per year and includes more than $120 million guaranteed, both record figures for a receiver.

Smith-Njigba, 24, is now under contract with the Seahawks through the 2031 season, after Seattle already exercised his fifth year option for 2027 that is worth approximately $23.9 million.

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The contract is a major jump from the prior top of the wide receiver market. Smith-Njigba’s average annual value surpasses the previous high for a receiver, Ja’Marr Chase at $40.25 million per year, and puts him clearly ahead of other recent top deals, including Justin Jefferson ($35 million) and CeeDee Lamb ($34 million).

Smith-Njigba is coming off a season in which he was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year after posting career highs across the board: 119 receptions, 1,793 receiving yards, and 10 touchdown catches in 2025. His postseason production matched the profile of a true No. 1 option, finishing with 17 catches for 199 yards and two touchdowns in three playoff games.

The deal also continues a broader Seahawks strategy of extending young cornerstone players early. Seattle previously extended left tackle Charles Cross, another first round pick, to a four year, $104.4 million deal in January. The Seahawks also still have star cornerback Devon Witherspoon, their other 2023 first round selection, eligible for an extension.

The extension is likely to ripple across the NFC West and the league’s next wave of receiver negotiations. One immediate reference point is the Los Angeles Rams, with Puka Nacua entering the final year of his deal in 2026 and viewed as a logical next candidate for a major extension as the market rises.

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For Seattle, the agreement formalizes what the 2025 season already made clear: Smith-Njigba is now being treated as the centerpiece of the offense. The team’s decision to lock him in at the top of the receiver market also removes a major potential distraction heading into 2026 and gives the Seahawks cost certainty on their most productive skill player through his prime years.

From a roster construction standpoint, the contract reflects how the league values elite receiving production in a cap environment that keeps pushing high-end talent into the $30 million-plus tier. Setting the top of the market at $42.15 million annually is also a signal that teams are willing to keep paying up for a player who can function as an every-situation target, draw defensive attention, and still produce at volume.

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