Seahawks paid Jaxon Smith-Njigba a fortune, and it's smart business

The thought of paying a receiver more than $42 million per season was preposterous not too long ago. That was the salary level for quarterbacks and quarterbacks only.

But one of the best organizations in the NFL, the defending Super Bowl champion, just paid receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba more than its starting quarterback.

The Seattle Seahawks signed Smith-Njigba to a a four-year, $168.6 million extension on Monday. That's $42.15 million per year, making Smith-Njigba the highest-paid receiver in NFL history. He's well ahead of Sam Darnold, the man throwing him the ball.

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Seattle made sure to take care of its star receiver and the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year. The contract looks like a lot, but it will probably age well. The Seahawks know what they're doing.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates after his team won Super Bowl LX. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)Todd Rosenberg via Getty ImagesJaxon Smith-Njigba gets paid

With Smith-Njigba's deal, the Seahawks have the most expensive receiver room in the NFL according to Spotrac. They've spent more than the Bengals, who have Ja'Marr Chase (previously the highest-paid receiver ever) and Tee Higgins.

Earlier this month Seattle signed Rashid Shaheed to a three-year, $51 million deal that contributes to the $83 million Seattle is paying its receivers.

Current Wide Receiver Spending
(based on combined APY)

1. Seahawks, $83M
2. Bengals, $77M
3. Cowboys, $71M
4. Eagles, $67M
5. Lions, $64M

Full Listhttps://t.co/jfTRqeYXjw

- Spotrac (@spotrac) March 23, 2026

There are different ways to build rosters. Seattle has a quarterback who has shed the bust label forever by winning a Super Bowl in Darnold, but his deal is a reasonable $100.5 million over three years. Darnold isn't the type of quarterback to get $50 million or more. The Seahawks didn't have access to that kind of quarterback. So they're paying receivers instead, and paying their best player in Smith-Njigba what was quarterback money not too long ago.

And the Seahawks will be just fine.

Seahawks get ahead of WR market

The salary cap went up $22 million this year. The cap was $300 million for the first time. It was just four years ago that it surpassed the $200 million mark. Maybe the cap doesn't keep increasing like this forever, but it will keep going up. There will be room to sign non-quarterbacks like Smith-Njigba to what is practically second-tier quarterback money.

Seattle knew that getting ahead of the market - Puka Nacua, Malik Nabers and Drake London are among the other young star receivers who will sign their second contracts soon - and rewarding a player who led a Super Bowl champion would end up fine. The cap will go up. They're not paying their quarterback exorbitant money. Smith-Njigba is a superstar.

And in the modern NFL, receivers have practically drawn even with pass rushers as the most valuable non-quarterback commodity.

The Seahawks have managed their roster and the salary cap very well, which is a reason they went 14-3 and won Super Bowl LX. It's a savvy front office that made not one but two massive quarterback changes and came out of it as a champion. Smith-Njigba's contract looks like a massive one and maybe hard to manage given the salary cap, but it's not. The Seahawks know better.