Jaxon Smith-Njigba Named 2025 Offensive Player of the Year After Record-Breaking Season
SAN FRANCISCO - Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s breakout season wasn’t just good - it was historic. The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver was officially named the 2025 Offensive Player of the Year at the NFL Honors on Thursday night, capping off a campaign that saw him dominate defenses and rewrite the record books.
Smith-Njigba didn’t just have a strong year - he led the entire NFL in receiving yards with 1,793, a number that also shattered the Seahawks’ single-season record. The previous mark, held by DK Metcalf at 1,303, wasn’t just broken - it was obliterated.
And it wasn’t just about the yards. Smith-Njigba was the engine of Seattle’s passing attack all year, commanding a league-leading 36.2% target share.
That’s a staggering level of involvement, especially for a player still early in his NFL career.
The numbers alone tell a story of dominance, but the context makes it even more impressive. Smith-Njigba became just the sixth wide receiver to ever win the Offensive Player of the Year award since it was first introduced in 1972.
That’s elite company. He now shares the honor with names like Justin Jefferson (2022), Cooper Kupp (2021), Michael Thomas (2019), and of course, the legendary Jerry Rice, who won it twice.
What makes this moment even more significant? Smith-Njigba’s season isn’t over yet.
The Seahawks are headed to Super Bowl LX, where they’ll face the New England Patriots on Sunday. Smith-Njigba is just the fifth player in NFL history to lead the league in receiving yards and make it to the Super Bowl in the same season.
And here’s the kicker: all four of the previous players to do that went on to win it all. That’s the kind of stat that gets fans in Seattle dreaming big.
So while the Offensive Player of the Year trophy is a major milestone, Smith-Njigba and the Seahawks have their sights set on something even bigger. Kickoff for Super Bowl LX is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday - and if Smith-Njigba’s season so far is any indication, we might not have seen his best just yet.