Seahawks in Awe of Jaxon Smith-Njigba's Speedy Recovery: 'Doesn't Flinch!'
RENTON, Wash. - Only one week ago from today, Jaxon Smith-Njigba flew to Philadelphia to undergo what Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll called an "elaborate" surgery to repair a small fracture in his left wrist.
At the time of the procedure, though he didn't have a timeline to share after the receiver injured his wrist on a 48-yard catch against the Cowboys in the preseason, the seemingly always optimistic Carroll maintained an positive outlook on the rookie receiver's prognosis. But with less than three weeks until the season opener against the Rams, the clock looked to be working against Smith-Njigba to have a realistic shot at making his much-anticipated Seahawks debut in Week 1 at Lumen Field.
However, Smith-Njigba appears to have different plans. As Seattle took the field at the VMAC on Tuesday afternoon following roster cuts, No. 11 could be seen plucking passes out of the air with a special brace on his left wrist/forearm, incredibly participating in practice just five days after surgery. He was a full participant again on Wednesday, an excellent sign for his chances of suiting up on September 10.
“He’s doing remarkably well. I saw him respond to the injuries at the outset and then I saw him respond when he told me he was getting operated on. I’m not surprised with the attitude he’s brought post-surgery," Carroll told reporters on Wednesday. "He’s out here working, catching balls, catching punts, doing everything. He isn’t worried about it. It could’ve gone a number of different ways, but it’s gone the way of a competitor. He’s not going to be denied, he wants to play football.”
While acknowledging Smith-Njigba has looked "great" in his first two days back at practice, Carroll said the Seahawks still don't know if he will be available or not against the Rams less than 10 days from now. Without getting hit at practice, there may be reservations about how he will handle contact if thrown into a game situation and team doctors will have to make that call next week.
After sitting out the preseason finale in Green Bay, Smith-Njigba was back on the practice field catching balls on Tuesday, suggesting he may indeed have a real shot at being ready for Week 1.
But by not placing Smith-Njigba on short-term injured reserve and clearing him to practice this quickly with a special brace, Seattle clearly expects the dynamic first-round pick to be ready to play soon, whether in Week 1 or shortly thereafter. Carroll has been blown away by his determination and toughness throughout the process and isn't about to rule him out for the opener.
“I think it’s a great statement about his competitiveness and his mentality," Carroll remarked. "He’s not going to be held out. He’s going for it. You really couldn’t ask for more. You couldn’t ask for a better approach and his discipline about coming out and working and getting everything done. He doesn’t even flinch.”
If Smith-Njigba isn't able to play in Week 1, the Seahawks still will have star wideouts DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett as well as an underrated trio of tight ends at quarterback Geno Smith's disposal. Last season, they finished in the top 10 in scoring offense before adding the former Ohio State route running dynamo to the mix to make their passing game even more potent.
Keeping that in mind, Seattle won't and shouldn't rush Smith-Njigba back into action if he isn't quite ready to play in a game. It's a long season and there's a significant difference between snatching passes in individual drills and non-padded team sessions compared to trying to make plays on Sundays against NFL cornerbacks and safeties or getting blasted making a reception over the middle. There's a reason he was sporting a red quarterback jersey in Thursday's session.
From a depth perspective, the Seahawks can turn to preseason darling Jake Bobo, one of two undrafted free agents to make the team out of training camp, as a big-bodied slot to help fill the void if Smith-Njigba misses a game or two. If either are healthy enough to play after missing the preseason finale, Dareke Young and Cody Thompson are also more than capable of getting the job done.
Seattle also has a proven veteran in Cade Johnson, who caught six passes in the team's final two games in January, as well as Easop Winston and explosive rookie Matt Landers on the practice squad as potential reinforcements if needed.
With him already practicing and demonstrating that his brace isn't a hinderance to catching the football, however, Smith is keeping his fingers crossed that Smith-Njigba will be ready to rock right away alongside Metcalf and Lockett. Looking to get off to a strong start against an NFC West rival, he hopes the Seahawks will have all hands on deck when Aaron Donald and the Rams come to town next weekend.
“It was great to see Jaxon Smith-Njigba out there... He's a tough kid and I think remarkable what he is doing, and we love having him out there.”
