There’s a few ways the Seahawks could play the JSN contract situation.
As a first-round pick from the 2023 draft, Smith-Njigba has a fifth-year option on his rookie contract. Seattle has until May 1 to exercise the option, the same timeline for fellow ’23 first-rounder Devon Witherspoon.
Given Smith-Njigba’s immense talent and that his price tag will only continue to rise, it would be prudent to come to terms on a long-term agreement sooner rather than let his first contract play out.
The Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase set the current high-water mark for wide receivers with his extension last offseason. He currently makes an average of $40.3 million per year, well clear of the Vikings’ Justin Jefferson, who is in second among wideouts at $35 million.
How they maneuver handing out new big-time deals in the coming years will partly determine their window as contenders, but the Seahawks are certainly in an excellent spot to keep their best, such as JSN and Witherspoon, on lucrative contracts.
On top of the aforementioned money to spend heading into the offseason, the Seahawks have onloaded lasting talent over the past few drafts, and they also found a steal under center with Sam Darnold. Of the 19 quarterbacks averaging over $30 million per year, he sits in 18th, with two years remaining on a deal that has an average annual value of $33.5 million.
Thus, the time would seem to be now to lock in Smith-Njigba, who had his best year teaming up with Darnold for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns on 119 receptions.
Luckily for the Seahawks, their star wideout is saying all the right things. He stated the obvious that he deserves to be a top-paid player, but made no demands and included the caveat that, in his heart of hearts, he’d play football for any price.
“I would play this game for free,” Smith-Njigba said. “I love this game so much, but you don’t have to. I’m learning to be a good businessman, and we need that check at the end of the day.”