The NFC Divisional Round matchup pairs the NFL's leading receiver with one of the rare opponents that's gotten him to rip out of his shell.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the NFL's leading receiver in 2025 with 1,793 yards, but you wouldn't always be able to tell by the way he carries himself.
Rather than exude the flashy and eccentric personality of many wide receivers around the league, the third-year pro from Ohio State prefers to stay to himself.
He lets his game do the talking.
But that doesn't mean he won't let his bear come out when he's been poked.
Ahead of Week 18 with his Seattle Seahawks facing the San Francisco 49ers in a regular season finale that determined top seeding in the NFC Playoffs, "JSN" showed that he isn't afraid to clap back on internet chatter, especially when it came from 49ers defensive backs trying to get under his skin pregame.
Niners cornerback Deommodore Lenoir called out Smith-Njigba before kickoff:
"Hoperfully I get to, you know, shadow JSN. I'm ready for this," Lenoir said. "I hope he's ready. Man-to-man coverage. That's what I want."
How did he respond? First, Smith-Njigba hauled in six of his eight targets for 84 yards, helping the Seahawks get a 13-3 win in Santa Clara to lock up the No. 1 seed.
Then, JSN belittled Lenoir as just one of his "fans" in postgame media availability.
"I definitely heard it," Smith-Njigba said. "It's hard to respond back to all my fans, but I knew that we were gonna see him today and take care of business."
Now, the two meet again in win-or-go home scenario as the Niners travel to the Pacific Northwest for a Divisional matchup with the top-seeded Seahawks at Lumen Field.
It's Seattle's first home game since an overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 18, and its the second matchup in a row against San Francisco after idling during their first-round bye while the 49ers got past the Philadelphia Eagles to advance.
With Lenior expected to line up opposite him again, Smith-Njigba hopes to use his elite shiftiness to make the right reads and set up another victory for the Seahawks.
"It's all about the power of illusion," he said to ESPN about his approach to man coverage. "It's a chess match out there. I'm putting it into the DB's mind that I'm going fast even when I'm not. I can stop on a dime. I can change speed. Keep 'em guessing."
His breakout season has been one to marvel at, but JSN knows that he and quarterback Sam Darnold need to, yet again, take care of business.
