How Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s contract extension impacts Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks made Jackson Smith-Njigba of the nfl highest paid earner on monday – and he did so without the slightest regard for the acrimony that had accompanied his other big deals in recent times.

last time He made a non-specialist the highest-paid player at his position, ending a months-long contract dispute with the safety jamal adamsWho sat out the first three weeks of training camp in 2021.

In 2019, linebacker bobby wagner Staged their own offseason hold-in while waiting for a top-of-the-market deal. this is done at the beginning of training campBut with Wagner serving as his agent, negotiations with one of the best players in franchise history turned awkward.

Earlier that year, quarterback Russell Wilson Setting an April 15 deadline for an extension, he said if a new contract was not secured by then he would finish out the final year of his deal. General manager John Schneider had to bounce between draft meetings and the negotiating table agreement reached At the 11th hour Wilson became the highest paid player in the NFL.

There was no such drama between the Seahawks and the 24-year-old Smith-Njigba, as both sides worked toward an agreement that topped Wilson’s deal as the richest in team history. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it is a four-year, $168.6 million extension that includes more than $120 million guaranteed.

Given history, it may be surprising to see such a large-scale contract completed so quickly. Plus, it makes sense considering the player in question.

Smith-Njigba is an incarnation of “Mission over bulls—“ The Seahawks adopted this mantra during their run last season super bowl lx. Those who know Smith-Njigba well say he is actually more invested in the team’s success than his individual achievements.

Made and named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl, after leading the NFL in rushing in 2025 AP Offensive Player of the YearSmith-Njigba helps Seahawks claim Second Lombardi Trophy In the history of the franchise.

Now he has a record-setting contract to go with it.

NFL Nation Seahawks reporter Brady Henderson and senior NFL National reporters Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano break down what the Smith-Njigba deal means for the Seahawks … and a rival West Coast receiver who is waiting for an extension.

After exercising his fifth-year option last week, why did the Seahawks extend JSN now?

The Seahawks always planned to pick up Smith-Njigba’s fifth-year option and negotiate an extension. However, the timing of this deal is unusual for an organization that typically waits until later in the offseason to work on an extension, as was the case in recent years with players like the right tackle. abraham lucas (2025), security julian love (2024), outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (2023) and wide receiver DK Metcalf (2022).

Perhaps the Seahawks were motivated to get ahead of the wide receiver market to secure an extension for Smith-Njigba, lest they wait and see any number of top picks. puka nakua Get in on your megadeal from Los Angeles Rams. –Henderson

what does it mean for cb devon witherspoon And the subsequent move to Seattle?

Once the Smith-Njigba deal is done, the Seahawks are expected to turn their attention to extending Witherspoon, a 2023 first-round pick and a tone setter on the NFL’s top-ranked scoring defense. Seattle also picked up Witherspoon’s fifth-year option for 2027 last week at an estimated cost of approximately $21.12 million.

Ram gave Trent McDuffie A Four-year, $124 million extension After getting him into business with kansas city chiefs — which complicates things for the Seahawks. The deal makes McDuffie the league’s top-paid corner at an average of $31 million per season, with Witherspoon now on top.

Witherspoon’s resume is stronger than McDuffie’s, with an early-ballot Pro Bowl berth in each of his first three seasons. If it wasn’t for running back Kenneth Walker III In Super Bowl LX, Witherspoon totaled 161 yards passing – with a sack and another hit that led to a pick-six – might have been the game’s MVP.

Seattle was probably already set to make Witherspoon the game’s top-paid corner, but the McDuffie deal raised that benchmark.

This helps explain the restraint shown by the Seahawks in free agency in preparation for these extensions. While he was never expected to make a serious effort to keep the cornerback rick woolen or outside linebacker boy sorryThey also let walkers and security go kobe ​​bryant Go for deals they could fit into their range.

But having enough space is one thing. Teams also need cash, and the Seahawks — assuming they extend Witherspoon — will pay a ton of it up front in the form of signing bonuses for two of the top deals on the market. –Henderson

may be cubby Sam Darnold Get a new deal too?

Not till next year. Darnold certainly has a case for a raise. Average of $33.5 million Three-year, $100.5 million deal He signed as a free agent last March, ranking 15th in annual salary for quarterbacks. This is a profitable deal for a QB coming off a Pro Bowl season and Super Bowl win.

But the Seahawks do not extend contracts with more than one season remaining – a non-negotiable team policy they have stuck to for years. That’s why when their previous quarterback was a nonstarter, geno smithWanted a new deal in 2024, as he was entering the second season of a three-year deal.

When asked at the NFL combine if Darnold could get an extension this offseason, Schneider said, “Sam signed a three-year deal.”

Technically, like Witherspoon, Smith-Njigba had two years left on his rookie contract after exercising his option. But Schneider clarified that option years do not apply to the team rule. –Henderson

What does this mean for the Rams’ discussions with NEKUAA?

The impact is huge. Smith-Njigba and Nakuya are 2023 draft teammates with similar production through three NFL seasons. (Smith-Njigba has the reception edge and a slight win in receiving touchdowns, 20 to 19, but Nakuya has more yards.)

There’s no doubt Nakua and his agents will use Smith-Njigba’s benchmark as a suitable comp, but getting there won’t be easy. Ram is not afraid of tough conversations. they made aaron donald stop years ago to get his deal and hang a trade for that Matthew Stafford last offseason before ultimately sweetening his deal.

Nacua and the Rams have plenty of time to execute a potential extension and are in no real rush. But Smith-Njigba’s contract certainly helps Nacua — unless Los Angeles finds the ballooning receiver market, which has grown nearly 280% over the past decade, unsustainable. The flip side: The Rams recognized Nacua as a star early in his career and knew this day was coming. — Fowler

Is JSN’s contract ultimately structured to limit immediate payments with new ownership in mind?

The structure suits the team, but I don’t think it’s because the team is being sold. In talking to people with knowledge of this and other Seahawks negotiations this off-season, I’m told the pending new ownership change will have no impact on the business the Seahawks are doing right now.

The Seahawks have very strict principles when it comes to veteran contract negotiations. Specifically, they do not guarantee any money outside the first year of the deal. However, in Smith-Njigba’s case, he already had his $23.852 million fully guaranteed for 2027 because he picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. That’s why their 2027 money is guaranteed if the Seahawks sign a clear deviation from their self-imposed rules.

Seattle will pay Smith-Njigba $36.5 million in 2026 — a $35 million signing bonus, a $1.25 million base salary and a $250,000 workout bonus. They will pay him $32.63 million in 2027, which includes a $30 million option bonus, a $1.53 million salary, a $250,000 workout bonus and an $850,000 per-game roster bonus (assuming he plays all 17 games in 2027). After that, the 2028 money is only guaranteed for injury and does not become fully guaranteed until five days after Super Bowl 62, which is scheduled to be played in February 2028.

It’s also interesting to see how the Smith-Njigba structure fits into the Seahawks’ overall payroll picture. The expansion he did for left tackle charles cross This year’s signing included a $25 million signing bonus and a $15 million 2026 option bonus, plus an additional $8 million option bonus in 2028.

Smith-Njigba’s contract includes option bonuses in 2027 and 2029, splitting them in odd years while Cross is in even years, presumably to equalize cash burn from year to year. Given that the Seahawks have adopted the option bonus structure every other year in these big-money deals, it will be interesting to see which years of the inevitable Witherspoon extension include larger option bonuses.

That’s a long way of saying ‘no’, but it also shows how the Seahawks have structured this deal as part of an overall cap management and cash budgeting process, which will help the current owners as well as the eventual new owners. –Graziano