Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba just made it crystal clear he believes he should be the highest-paid receiver in the NFL.
Smith-Njigba is coming off a monster 2025 season that ended with him leading the league in receiving yards and taking home Offensive Player of the Year.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Contract Demand Sets New Bar
In a recent interview, Smith-Njigba said he “deserves to be the highest paid” at his position because of what he gives to the game and the community.
That statement puts his number right up against the current top of the market, where Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase sits at $40.25 million per year.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba the last 2 seasons:
— PFF Fantasy (@PFF_Fantasy) February 19, 2026
👐 315 targets
👐 6 drops pic.twitter.com/pxiGqhZBk3
If JSN is serious about being No. 1, the Seahawks are staring at a $40.3 million annual bar just to clear it, and likely a massive guaranteed-money commitment to match.
Seahawks Extension Timeline and Why Rams Are Watching
Seattle does have leverage. Smith-Njigba is eligible for an extension now, but he is still under contract for 2026, and the team can control him beyond that with the fifth-year option.
JSN even sounded willing to wait, which is where this gets spicy. The next big receiver deal that hits the market can raise the ceiling again, and the Los Angeles Rams are sitting in their own pressure cooker with Puka Nacua’s timeline.
If Nacua or another star resets the top number first, JSN can simply point at it and ask for more.
JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA IS YOUR 2025 NFL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8DueqbftJR
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 6, 2026
Paying a wide receiver at the very top of the sport is a commitment that shapes everything else, but Seattle also knows what it looks like when JSN is the engine of the offense.
The longer this lingers, the more expensive it can get, and the rest of the league will be watching to see whether the Seahawks blink or push back.
Photo Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images
