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Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been torching defenses as a receiver all season, but the Seattle Seahawks star would love to show off another part of his game in Week 14: his arm.
Ahead of Seattle’s road matchup with the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 7, Smith-Njigba admitted he wants the Seahawks to call another trick-play pass for him in Atlanta, where he once let one fly with a very simple mindset.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba on His ‘F It, Throw It Up’ Pass in Atlanta
Asked if he wants to throw another pass in Atlanta, Smith-Njigba didn’t hesitate. “Do I want to? Yeah, I do,” he said with a smile, adding that he’d like to “maybe chunk one down the field.”
When pressed on what he remembers from that earlier throw, JSN said he basically just told himself, “F it, throw it up and let one of my guys make a play.” He even warned the coaches beforehand: “If you call it, I’m going to throw the ball.”
Looking back, he joked that he was “immature back then,” but he clearly hasn’t lost the itch to toss one more deep ball on a big stage.
The comments add a playful twist to a serious season for Smith-Njigba, who has become one of the NFL’s most dangerous wideouts, ranking near the top of the league in both receptions and receiving yards through 12 games. JSN has a league-leading 1,336 yards on 82 catches with seven touchdowns this season.
Could the Seahawks Dial Up a JSN Trick Play vs Falcons?
Whether the Seahawks actually let JSN throw again is up to Mike Macdonald and the offensive staff, but the setup is there. Seattle enters Week 14 at 9-3 and in the middle of a tight NFC West race, while the Falcons sit at 4-8 and fighting to stay alive in the NFC South.
Sam Darnold has repeatedly talked about the importance of evolving as an offense, balancing their identity with new wrinkles as more tape accumulates over the season. A well-timed shot play with JSN pulling the trigger would check both boxes: stay aggressive, but do it in a way defenses haven’t seen yet.
Smith-Njigba has already shown he can handle extra attention in the passing game. Opponents have rolled safeties his way and doubled him at times, forcing Darnold to move through his progressions and find other options. A trick play where the coverage keys on JSN as a receiver, only for him to pull up and throw, would weaponize that respect.
Stats & Context for Seahawks-Falcons
The Seahawks head into Atlanta as one of the NFL’s top scoring offenses, with Darnold and Smith-Njigba driving a balanced attack that’s kept them in the NFC playoff picture all year. The Seahawks have scored the fourth most points in the league.
The Falcons, meanwhile, come in at 4-8 under head coach Raheem Morris, still searching for consistency as they try to claw back into the NFC South race.
If the game script allows and the Seahawks want to lean into JSN’s confidence, don’t be surprised if Macdonald and his staff slip a trick-play pass into the call sheet. And if they do, Smith-Njigba has already promised one thing: he won’t be shy about letting it rip.
Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. Anderson is also the host of The Rip City Pod on The I-5 Corridor, where he dives into the stories and personalities shaping the Portland Trail Blazers. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson
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