About Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Jaxon Smith-Njigba (/ɪnˈdʒɪɡbə/ in-JIG-bə; born February 14, 2002), also known by his initials JSN, is a Sierra Leonean-American professional football wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he set school records for receptions in a single game (15, twice) and receiving yards in a season (1,606 in 2021). Smith-Njigba was selected 20th overall by the Seahawks in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. He became a starter in his second season, amassing 1,130 receiving yards and earning his first Pro Bowl selection. In the 2025 season, Smith-Njigba set a Seahawks franchise record with a league-leading 1,793 receiving yards on 119 receptions, earning him Offensive Player of the Year (OPOY) honors. That same season, he helped the Seahawks win Super Bowl LX.

Early life
Smith-Njigba was born on February 14, 2002, in Nacogdoches, Texas, to Maada and Jami Smith, and grew up in Rockwall, Texas, attending Rockwall High School. After he and Jami divorced, Maada began putting Jaxon and his older brother Canaan through daily sports workouts as a means of bonding with and passing the time with his sons, sometimes starting at 6 a.m. Although Maada initially only sought to "tire them out" so he could put them to bed, as they grew up, he found himself surprised at their skill.