Seahawks All-Pro WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba says success won’t change him

Really, just sticking to who I am, honestly, has always been the plan and something that I wanted for myself and for teammates and others

BY ROB MAADDI, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Sep 9, 2026, 11:59 AM

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Jaxon Smith-Njigba was a unanimous All-Pro, AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year and won a Super Bowl before the Seattle Seahawks made him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history.

He said he won’t allow success to change him.

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“I try to not let it impact me as in who I am and my goals and who I want to be and my values and stuff like that,” Smith-Njigba said on the AP’s “Football Unfiltered” podcast. “Really, the only things that really change is, of course, is the media. Obviously, signed a contract this spring, but I wouldn’t say that would change my lifestyle. I would not want it to change my lifestyle just because I get a little bit of money or I went to a Super Bowl so now my morals are all over the place, now I need this, this and this.

“Really, just sticking to who I am, honestly, has always been the plan and something that I wanted for myself and for teammates and others. And I think with the stability of Christ in my life, I think that’s what he brings.”

Smith-Njigba even has a new menu named after him. He collaborated with the chefs at Levy to create a special JSN menu of dishes — like the jerk salmon nachos — that will debut at Lumen Field when the Seahawks open the season on Wednesday night against the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl rematch.

A first-round pick in 2023, Smith-Njigba set a team record for yards receiving (1,793) and receptions (119) in a single season last year. In March, the 24-year-old signed a four-year, $168.8 million contract extension, with $120 million guaranteed.

He’s entering his second season with quarterback Sam Darnold, who joined the Seahawks last year. They have a new offensive coordinator after Brian Fleury replaced Klint Kubiak, who went to Las Vegas. Also, Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III signed with Kansas City.

“Each year, we have our own challenges, a new set of challenges, so really just accepting that and understanding that,” Smith-Njigba said. “I think how we got to where we got in the first place was just putting our process over the results, which is meaning each day that I have, whatever I have in front of me, just taking care of that. So really this year, it’s just about understanding that and growing that and adding on to the process. So we’re ready for this season. Each year is its own and it’s new and we’re excited to attack it head-on.”