Jaxon Smith-Njigba had one of the most productive receiving seasons in NFL history while helping the Seahawks to a 14-3 record and an NFC West title, and as a result, he was named Offensive Player of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America. Smith-Njigba is the third receiver to earn the PFWA’s Offensive Player of the Year award since it was instituted in 1992, joining teammate Cooper Kupp who won it as a member of the Rams in 2021 and Justin Jefferson, who won it in 2022.
Smith-Njigba, who led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards, the eighth highest single-season total in NFL history, was also a unanimous first-team All-Pro selection and was named to his second straight Pro Bowl, and as this latest award indicates, he also has a good chance at the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year award, which will be announced at NFL Honors the week of Super Bowl LX.
“He’s a great player,” Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold said earlier this season. “… Jax does a really good job of understanding the plan every single week, just his mindset going into every single game. I feel like he’s so clear on what we’re doing as an offense and what his role is as a receiver. I can’t speak highly enough about that guy, but it really starts with days like today with the way that he prepares.”
On his way to franchise records for receiving yards (1,793) and receptions (119), Smith-Njigba also became the second player in team history, along with Hall of Famer Steve Largent, to lead the league in receiving. Making his historic season all the more impressive is the fact that he put up those numbers playing in a run-heavy offense. The Seahawks attempted only 481 passes this season, the fourth fewest in the NFL, while having the third most rush attempts (507), meaning Smith-Njigba accounted for 44.1 percent of Seattle’s receiving yards, and 36.6 percent of the team’s receptions.