Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba 'Thankful For Opportunity,' Readying For NFL Debut
RENTON, Wash. - After reeling in a picturesque deep ball from quarterback Drew Lock in the Seattle Seahawks' second preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys, receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba got tripped up just short of the goal line on a 48-yard gain, coming up a yard shy of his first NFL touchdown.
With teammates, coaches, and the crowd celebrating Smith-Njigba's explosive reception and setting up a touchdown run by DeeJay Dallas, nobody knew the rookie wideout had suffered a significant injury. This included the player himself, who didn't immediately exit the game and actually checked in as a punt returner moments later before not playing the rest of the night.
But as it turned out, after jamming his left hand/wrist hard into the turf while being tackled on the catch, Smith-Njigba suffered a fractured bone in his wrist. He could be seen shaking the hand on the sideline and four days later, he underwent surgery to repair the injury in Philadelphia, putting his status for Week 1 up in the air.
“I didn’t know," Smith-Njigba said when asked if he had any doubts about being available for Seattle's season opener against the Los Angeles Rams. "I just took it day-by-day. Whatever they told me, I took with a grain of salt and figured it out as we kept going.”
Fortunately for Smith-Njigba and the Seahawks, following the footsteps of veteran teammate Tyler Lockett, who returned from hand surgery last December after missing just one game, the hyped rookie made a remarkable recovery from the procedure. Only one week after having the bone repaired, he was back on the practice field with a special brace on his left wrist and catching passes from Geno Smith.
Fast forwarding to Friday's final practice tune-up before Sunday's opener, Smith-Njigba wasn't even listed on the team's injury report, confirming he would indeed be suiting up against the Rams. A full participant in practice all week and not suffering any setbacks or hitches, he will make his much-anticipated NFL debut in front of a raucous crowd at Lumen Field after all.
“Very excited. It's a dream come true," Smith-Njigba said of playing in his first NFL regular season game. "Living out the dream... Get to put the helmet on, the shoulder pads on, and get out there Sunday.”
Among the most notable themes in training camp and the preseason, several Seahawks have made miraculous, speedy recoveries from injury. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks, for example, will play on Sunday only eight months and 19 days after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL in January.
While Smith-Njigba's injury wasn't near as severe as Brooks, many medical experts, including former Chargers team doctor David J. Chao, expected he would not be ready in time for the start of the regular season. But from the outset, coach Pete Carroll was confident that the young receiver would have a realistic shot to be back within three or four weeks.
Shocking even Pete Carroll with how quickly he made it back from wrist surgery, Jaxon Smith-Njigba was a full participant in practice this week and won't be limited at all for the Seahawks in Week 1.
Corbin Smith/All Seahawks
Since then, Carroll's initial optimism turned out to be borderline prophetic, as the uber-competitive Smith-Njigba had his sights set on returning on the short end of the recovery timetable. After protecting him with a red quarterback non-contact jersey for a couple of practices last week, he continued to progress and checked off every box, catching even the chronically positive 71-year old coach by surprise with how quickly he bounced back.
"Everything has surprised me. It could’ve been an entirely different process throughout. He was a true competitor, he’s the real deal. He demonstrated that,” Carroll told reporters after Friday's practice.
With Smith-Njigba officially ready to rock against the Rams and Carroll saying he won't have any limitations, the Seahawks will have their full arsenal of skill position weapons at Smith's disposal. The smooth-handed, savvy route runner impressed throughout his first training camp, snagging highlight reel grabs on a daily basis and developing a quick rapport with his veteran quarterback, showcasing the tools and natural football instincts that led to his selection 20th overall in April's draft.
Proficient from the slot and the outside, Smith couldn't have been happier to see Smith-Njigba turn the corner quickly in his rehab just as he does when he creates instant separation against corners and safeties.
“Jaxon is extremely tough," Smith remarked on Thursday. "He’s proven a lot to a lot of people with just the way he’s coming back from a significant injury. He’s looked really good in practice. I can’t speculate what’s going to happen but from my vantage point, he’s done a phenomenal job and I think he’ll continue to progress and get better.”
Not missing a beat since undergoing surgery, which has turned out to be little more than a bump in the road for Smith-Njigba's hype train to power past, the rookie should be poised to get off to a fast start, especially with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett attracting attention from opposing defenses. He also may contribute on special teams, as he was listed as the backup punt returner behind Dallas on Seattle's latest depth chart earlier this week.
Either way, after missing most of his final season at Ohio State with a hamstring injury before fracturing his wrist last month, Smith-Njigba isn't concerned about how many catches he makes, how many targets Smith sends his direction, or how many shots to return punts he receives. Regardless of how much he plays and where the Seahawks use him on offense and special teams, he's simply grateful to be back healthy and after beating the odds in his recovery, all he wants to do is help his new team win.
“I’m blessed. I’m blessed for the opportunity for the Seahawks to pick me up at [pick] 20 and now I get to see the season. It’s a long hard road to get here but I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’m just thankful for the opportunity. I learned a lot sitting out last year and I get to use the tools that I learned to be greater and have success hopefully.”
