Fresh off an Offensive Player of the Year campaign, Seattle’s superstar wideout targets a historic 150-catch milestone as the Seahawks' shorthanded backfield forces a pass-heavy offensive shift.
After establishing himself as one of the NFL’s rising stars over the last few seasons, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba exploded in 2025.
He made Seahawks history with the best wide receiver season ever for the franchise, but now he could be on the verge of NFL history as well.
In a recent article by Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport, he predicts what he thinks will be the biggest surprises of the upcoming NFL season. One bold projection stood out above the rest: Smith-Njigba becoming the first player in NFL history to record 150 receptions in a single season.
"Smith-Njigba is the unquestioned No. 1 target in the passing game for a Seahawks team with its eyes set on a repeat," Davenport writes. "With Kenneth Walker III gone and Zach Charbonnet rehabbing an ACL tear, there are significant questions facing the Seattle ground game. If the Seahawks are forced to go to the air more in 2026, most of those targets will be headed Smith Njigba's way."
That prediction may sound extreme at first glance, but after what Smith-Njigba accomplished in 2025, it suddenly feels far more realistic than impossible.
The Seahawks star receiver exploded into superstardom this past season, leading the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards while earning Offensive Player of the Year honors. He became the centerpiece of Seattle’s offense during the team’s Super Bowl LX run and consistently delivered in the biggest moments throughout the year.
Seattle clearly believes his best football is still ahead of him. The organization rewarded Smith-Njigba with a massive four-year, $168.6 million contract extension this offseason, cementing him as one of the faces of the franchise moving forward.
Seattle enters the new season with major uncertainty surrounding its running game. Kenneth Walker III left for the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency, and Zach Charbonnet continues to recover from a torn ACL. Those questions in the backfield could force the Seahawks to lean even more heavily on the passing attack this year.
And if you thought JSN was getting a lot of targets before, just you wait.
There is a strong argument that no player in football has a better combination of route-running, reliability, and explosiveness after the catch. Defenses know the ball is coming his way, and it still has not mattered.
The NFL’s single-season reception record currently sits at 149 catches, set by Michael Thomas in 2019. But if his climbing reception numbers are any indication, JSN could be on the hunt for the record.
Considering what he did last season, betting against him may not be the smartest move.
