The fifth-year option season is officially underway, and the Seahawks have made their move. They've exercised the 2027 options on the contracts of receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and cornerback Devon Witherspoon, both first-round picks from 2023.
Smith-Njigba, who was picked 20th overall and snagged the 2025 NFL Offensive Player of the Year award, now has a fully guaranteed salary of $23.852 million for 2027. Witherspoon, selected fifth overall, is set to earn $21.161 million in the same year.
Both players are eyeing new contracts sooner rather than later. The fifth-year option offers them some security against unforeseen injuries during the early 2026 offseason, with the deadline for exercising this option not hitting until May 1.
Smith-Njigba has expressed his ambition to become the highest-paid receiver in the league, which would mean an extension with a new-money average surpassing $40 million. To reach a new-money average per year (APY) of $41 million, the Seahawks would need to offer him a five-year, $148.4 million deal. This would break down to a total average from signing of $29.68 million, considering his earnings over the next two seasons.
It's no shocker that the Seahawks want to keep both Smith-Njigba and Witherspoon in the fold. As the weeks roll on, expect other teams to follow suit, locking in their 2023 first-round picks who've proven their worth over the past three seasons.
It's worth noting that there were only 31 first-round picks in 2023, as the Dolphins lost theirs due to tampering violations involving Tom Brady and Sean Payton.