Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Sept. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Four weeks into the 2025 season, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has settled in nicely as the unquestioned No. 1 option in Seattle’s passing game. The third-year wide receiver is second in the NFL in receiving yards (402), continuing the momentum from a 2024 campaign in which he outpaced veterans DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett (who are now on other teams) with 100 catches, 1,130 yards and a Pro Bowl selection.

JSN. TOUCHDOWN.

📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/8FHXFOq7uA

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 21, 2025

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But for Smith-Njigba, it’s bigger than football. His climb to the top of Seattle’s offense has been marked by patience, perseverance and a faith in God.

That foundation traces back to Ohio State, where he first flashed his potential on the biggest stage. In the 2022 Rose Bowl, Smith-Njigba set a Football Bowl Subdivision bowl-game record with 347 receiving yards and three touchdowns, lifting the Buckeyes to a 48-45 win over Utah. Afterward, he was quick to shift the spotlight away from himself.

“I’ve got to give all things to God,” he said after the game. “Without Him, nothing’s possible. I’ve got to give thanks to Coach (Ryan Day) and (quarterback C.J. Stroud) for getting me the opportunities. The O-line, you know, it’s not just me. I couldn’t have done it without them. I just try to take in every moment every time the ball is in the air. I felt like I did that today, so it’s a blessing.”

Smith-Njigba was arguably a household name before, but that performance sealed it. He was a preseason All-American entering the 2022 season, but that year unfortunately brought disappointment. A hamstring injury in the opener against Notre Dame lingered, limiting him to only three appearances and five total catches.

“The season was tough, and I did everything I could to help my team and get back on the field,” he said when announcing his decision to enter the draft. “Sometimes things don’t work out how you planned, but my faith in God has given me the strength to focus on my health and the next challenge.”

Through both highs and lows, Smith-Njigba leaned on his faith. He calls himself a “Follower of Christ” on X, and alongside quarterback C.J. Stroud and other teammates, he helped foster a culture of faith within the Buckeyes’ program that has carried forward, with the Ohio State football team hosting campus-wide faith events the past two years.

That same perspective has defined Smith-Njigba’s NFL journey. As a rookie in 2023, he learned behind Metcalf and Lockett. In his second year, he seized his chance and became Seattle’s most reliable target. Now in his third year, he’s one of the NFL’s most productive receivers.

“I feel like this sport can teach you a lot about life,” he said this week on “The Reset” podcast. “Just sitting out, being patient, waiting for your time to come, it all intertwines. I just try to take every good thing and bad thing and turn it my way and keep the next foot pressing forward.”

Yet his vision goes far beyond box scores. When asked what he hopes people remember once his career is over, he said the fact that he gives back and cares for other people is what matters most to him.

“That I want to see the next man or the youth to level up,” he said on the podcast. “Whether that’s visiting hospitals, schools, whatever — I just want to have my hand in this community and build it and share my testimony and my faith in God. Just be on the highest stage and praise His name, because that’s what I feel I’m ultimately here to do.”

The Rockwall, Texas, native knows he has young kids looking up to him, both back home and in the Seattle area. He was also asked on “The Reset” what his encouragement would be to those kids.

“Anything is possible through God,” he said. “What you put in is what you get out. Go to your mentor, your coach, your teacher and ask, ‘What can I do better?’ I think people don’t ask that enough. Put that work in and let’s see where that goes.”

Next up for Smith-Njigba and the Seahawks are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 4:05 p.m. ET on Sunday in Seattle.

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