ESPN’s Brady Henderson previously noted that Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider wanted to get a deal done with star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba before Schneider may “have to top whatever number Puka Nacua gets on his megadeal from the Los Angeles Rams.“
In the end, the Seahawks made Smith-Njigba the new highest-paid receiver in the NFL by signing him to a four-year, $168.6M deal that included $120M guaranteed.
NFL insider Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom US spoke with a rival general manager about the situations involving Smith-Njigba and Nacua. That executive suggested Schneider can enjoy a bit of a victory lap by locking Smith-Njigba down while Nacua remains in the final year of his team-friendly contract.
Seahawks, Jaxon Smith-Njigba agreement is a win-win for both
“It’s a great deal for the team and a great deal for the player,” the general manager said about Smith-Njigba’s contract. “John wanted to get ahead of the Rams on this… Nacua was going to get more (than Smith-Njigba), anyway, but it’s great timing for Seattle.”
Smith-Njigba earned NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award honors for the 2025 campaign after he finished this past regular season with a league-best 1,793 receiving yards. Both he and Nacua tallied 10 receiving touchdowns on the season, but Nacua led the NFL with 129 total receptions.
Why Puka Nacua may make more than Jaxon Smith-Njigba via extension
The Rams and Nacua reportedly may not agree to an extension until “further into the summer,” and it’s possible that he will wait to see if George Pickens of the Dallas Cowboys resets the market before the deadline for teams to sign tagged players to multiyear contracts arrives on July 15.
La Canfora hinted that Nacua may owe Smith-Njigba a future gift basket for signing an extension before the start of springtime workouts.
“Nacua has more position flexibility (he essentially plays multiple receiver and tight end positions for the Rams), and he’s bigger and stronger and is more of a presence in the run game, which is foundational in head coach Sean McVay’s offense,” La Canfora added. “The Rams have never shied away from paying their superstars and won’t here, either. But this receiver race was just one more rivalry within what is becoming one of the NFL’s best.”
On Tuesday, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio mentioned that “Nacua shouldn’t set foot on a practice field until he gets his next contract.” That’s something the Seahawks won’t have to worry about as it pertains to Smith-Njigba’s status.