RENTON, Wash. — Mike Macdonald did not agree with the premise of the query.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba had led the Seattle Seahawks in receiving for a seventh straight recreation, catching 10 passes for 83 yards of their dwelling loss to the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 15. The efficiency put him on the doorstep of 1,000 yards for the marketing campaign and led to a query about his breakout second season.
“I would not name it a breakout,” the workforce’s first-year head coach stated. “I imply, this man has been making performs since we walked within the door. There is a motive we drafted him within the first spherical final yr. Can’t converse to final yr, however this man is a dynamite participant. He simply brings it each day. He’s the man that we thought he was.”
Macdonald may merely have been rejecting the notion Smith-Njigba’s second-year surge had come out of nowhere, as a result of this was the expectation all alongside.
After all, the Seahawks had watched him look stronger within the second half of his rookie season. Then they noticed him dominate in offseason practices, positioning himself to overhaul 10-year franchise veteran Tyler Lockett of their pass-catching pecking order.
Add in his observe report of serious leaps in manufacturing in Year 2 — one thing he did at Rockwall High School exterior of Dallas and once more at Ohio State — and what Smith-Njigba has performed in 2024 nearly appeared predestined, and the one shock is that he has outproduced even DK Metcalf, who instructions common double-teams and missed two video games with a knee damage in November.
Heading into the Seahawks’ Thursday night time recreation in opposition to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video), Smith-Njigba leads Seattle with 93 catches, 1,089 yards — fifth most within the NFL — and 6 touchdowns. He has been paying off normal supervisor John Schneider’s choice to make him the primary vast receiver taken in final yr’s draft with the twentieth choose, and his bounce in 2024 has been among the many greatest causes the Seahawks are in playoff competition with an 18.6% probability to win the NFC West, in line with ESPN Analytics.
“He’s been nice,” stated Metcalf, whose 897 receiving yards are second on the workforce. “I do know Lock noticed me make the transition to getting the numbers that [Smith-Njigba is] getting now, however simply to see it from the opposite facet … is type of nice, as a result of final yr he did not actually have any thought of what was occurring or easy methods to take it 16 video games, 17 video games in a season.
“But now, simply to see him put every little thing collectively, it is type of like a proud mother or father or an enormous brother second simply to see him have the success, and I do know he will proceed to have main success in his league.”
SCHNEIDER WALKED OUT of Ohio State’s professional day in March 2023 pondering his possibilities of touchdown Smith-Njigba had taken a severe hit.
The wideout was not anticipated to run a 40-yard sprint that day, nonetheless recovering from the hamstring damage that had sidelined him for many of his closing faculty season. But he did anyway, clocking a more-than-solid 4.48 seconds at 6-foot-1 and 200 kilos.
Smith-Njigba had eye-popping stats on his résumé, having led the Buckeyes with 1,606 receiving yards in 2021 — together with a Rose Bowl-record 347 — regardless of enjoying in a receiver corps that included future first-round picks Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave and Marvin Harrison Jr. Former OSU quarterback C.J. Stroud as soon as referred to as Smith-Njigba the most effective route runner he has ever performed with, mentioning the cross catcher’s polish.
But with Smith-Njigba not working on the NFL mix, his 40 time was the final remaining query. When he unexpectedly answered it at his professional day, Schneider — as he defined on his Seattle Sports 710 AM radio present — left feeling like there was no means the vast receiver would fall to No. 20, the place the Seahawks had their second first-round choose.
To Schneider and the vast majority of the group, the professional day efficiency solidified Smith-Njigba as the highest wideout within the draft. According to a workforce supply, then-coach Pete Carroll noticed it that means, as nicely, however a couple of members of his employees favored Boston College‘s Zay Flowers, a smaller however speedier receiver who had run a 4.42-second 40.
While Smith-Njigba did not have that type of explosiveness, the consensus in Seattle’s draft room was that he was the extra well-rounded participant, in line with workforce sources, and a greater match for a receiver corps that wanted a chain-moving slot man because it already had deep threats in Metcalf and Lockett.
“If we’d have sat right here … once we had been trying on the 2023 draft, we’d have stated that man is well a top-five, [top-10] participant, however then he sadly had the hamstring damage,” Schneider stated on draft night time.
To the Seahawks’ shock, Smith-Njigba was there at 20, and Schneider caught to his board at the same time as, in line with a workforce supply, one of many dissenters made a last-second plea in opposition to drafting Smith-Njigba.
As Schneider noticed it, Smith-Njigba was on the verge of breaking out as a rookie in coaching camp final season, having began to emerge after a gradual begin to his first offseason exercise program as he labored again from the hamstring damage. Smith-Njigba then suffered a damaged wrist within the preseason, which continued to have an effect on him even after he ditched the brace he needed to put on for the primary two regular-season video games.
On high of that, one Seahawks coach stated, Smith-Njigba regarded like a typical rookie early on as he discovered what it meant to turn into a professional. But as his wrist healed and his follow and research habits improved, his play began to comply with.
He completed with 628 receiving yards — a distant third behind Metcalf and Lockett — and 4 touchdowns in 2023. Two of the scores had been recreation winners and two had been on performs by which he lined up out vast, exhibiting he had sufficient velocity to be greater than a slot receiver.
“I felt prefer it was a great basis,” Smith-Njigba stated over the summer time whereas reflecting on his rookie season. “I can develop from it. Lots of rising pains, numerous ups and downs, however type of related from first years of school and in highschool.”
BEFORE HIS ROOKIE season, Smith-Njigba had dinner in New York City with fellow vast receiver Davante Adams. Smith-Njigba was already within the space hanging out with Wilson, who had simply completed his rookie season with the Jets, when he received a name to fulfill Adams from a mutual enterprise accomplice.
The 4 of them dined at a Manhattan restaurant, Adams doling out vast receiver knowledge and the 2 younger gamers choosing the mind of the six-time Pro Bowl choice.
Adams instructed them how he had constructed chemistry with quarterback Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay that allowed him to take off after two sub-500-yard seasons to start his profession.
“Having that confidence and simply constructing that relationship together with your quarterback. He talked about that loads and the way vital that’s, and that is the place I get it from,” Smith-Njigba stated of Adams. “My mindset is, no matter [Seahawks signal-caller] Geno [Smith] wants, I’m there to do this.”
Smith-Njigba’s breakout is a product of a number of components. He has purchased into first-year coordinator Ryan Grubb’s offense and has turn into comfy with its advanced passing scheme. He confirmed up in higher form as in comparison with his rookie season and has stayed wholesome. And he has earned the belief of his quarterback and playcaller.
“Feeling stronger, feeling quicker, with the ability to simply actually have a great grasp on the offense and perceive what is anticipated from me,” Smith-Njigba stated of what he has performed higher. “I might say that, and simply me and Geno’s timing comes off of that.”
In Week 9 in opposition to the visiting Los Angeles Rams, Smith-Njigba delivered the most efficient recreation of his profession, catching seven passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns in an extra time loss.
Over the primary eight video games, he averaged 7.27 air yards per goal, largely making hay with beneath routes out of the slot. But with Metcalf sidelined in opposition to the Rams, Smith-Njigba took over as Seattle’s deep menace, averaging 18.08 air yards per goal — and that wasn’t counting the 2 lengthy passes he hauled in for 78 yards that had been worn out by holding penalties.
The breakout was formally on from there.
If the Rams recreation was the most effective proof that Smith-Njigba could be greater than a series mover, the Seahawks’ subsequent outing was additional proof of his rising rapport with Smith. Smith-Njigba’s 10-catch, 110-yard efficiency on the San Francisco 49ers included 4 catches for 38 yards on the game-winning landing drive that Smith led to snap Seattle’s six-game dropping streak in opposition to its division rival.
“Just how comfy we’re with each other, our communication on the sideline and in video games, we’re simply creating that,” Smith stated after the 49ers recreation. “It’s type of unstated. We do not need to say something, however we all know what to do.”
The quarterback and wideout had honed their chemistry by coaching collectively for every week over the offseason, however with no defenders, these throwing-and-catching periods did not give attention to extended-play conditions reminiscent of those that led to 2 of their connections on the decisive drive in opposition to the Niners.
“We’re all the time going to have stuff within the recreation plan the place he is the first man,” Macdonald stated of Smith-Njigba after that recreation. “I feel the cool half is the stuff that is taking place later within the downs [with] him and Geno.
“After watching the tape, you type of really feel it. There’s a chemistry going between these two guys.”
During a two-minute drive on the finish of the primary half final week in opposition to the visiting Minnesota Vikings, Smith confirmed his belief in Smith-Njigba on a dangerous throw up the seam. With a cornerback trailing his receiver and two safeties excessive, Smith put the ball on a rope towards his again shoulder. Smith-Njigba made a midair adjustment and held on by contact for a 25-yard achieve, organising his 18-yard landing catch one play later.
While main the Seahawks in receiving for an eighth straight recreation in that loss to Minnesota, Smith-Njigba, 22, grew to become the tenth participant in franchise historical past to high 1,000 yards for a season. And he wants eight catches to interrupt Lockett’s single-season membership report of 100, including some particular person stakes to Thursday’s contest, which the Seahawks have to win with a view to keep away from being eradicated from playoff competition with a Rams victory on Saturday over the visiting Arizona Cardinals.
The 32-year-old Lockett — the second-most prolific receiver in franchise historical past and a surefire Ring of Honor member down the street — has given no indication he plans on retiring after this season. But he’s scheduled to make $17 million and rely almost $31 million in opposition to the cap within the closing yr of his contract in 2025, which makes him a candidate for launch until he takes a pay minimize for a second straight yr.
Even if Lockett is again for an eleventh season in Seattle, the proverbial torch already has been handed to Smith-Njigba because the Seahawks’ co-No. 1 receiver with Metcalf, 27.
“I do not suppose there has ever been a recreation the place I might’ve been fearful about throwing the ball to Jaxon in a extremely massive second,” Grubb stated. “I feel that is precisely who he’s. I feel we’re actually blessed to have a pair veteran guys that clearly have made numerous these performs. And then Jaxon is a man that is actually able to making that type of play at any second.
“Just actually excited for him. He’s actually beginning to present what we all know he’s.”
ESPN Jets reporter Rich Cimini contributed to this story.
