How Jaxon Smith-Njigba's Extension Impacts Seahawks' 2026 Cap Space

Overreactions to massive NFL contracts are just an expected reality of professional sports at this point. As salary caps increase, the contracts get bigger, and so do the opinions on whether a particular player was overpaid.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba just got a massive four-year, $168.6 million extension, making him the highest-paid receiver in average annual value over that span ($42.15 million) and keeping him with the franchise through the 2031 season.

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However, instead of leaving his 2026 cap hit far lower than the next five years, the Seahawks upped his salary for this upcoming season, dropped it from the fifth-year extension figure in 2027, and then set it to grow progressively over the length of the contract.

The most Smith-Njigba will ever weigh against the Seahawks' cap is in 2031 ($50.3 million), per Over The Cap, the final year of the deal.

Where Seahawks' 2026 cap sits after Smith-Njigba extension

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Because of that gradual increase, Smith-Njigba carries just a $10.371 million cap hit in 2026, which is the 10th most among Seattle's current players. It's only about $250,000 more than what cornerback Devon Witherspoon is making in the fourth year of his rookie contract.

Witherspoon was selected No. 5 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft and Smith-Njigba was taken 15 picks later. If Witherspoon isn't given an extension this offseason (he's under contract through 2027 with the fifth-year option), their cap hits will be comparable in 2026.

Seahawks 2026 cap space: $32.023 million ($28.841 effective cap space)

2027: $57.706 million ($41.896 million effective cap space)

2028: $211.608 million ($178.458 million effective cap space)

* All cap numbers courtesy of Over The Cap

Even with the Smith-Njigba deal, the Seahawks are nearing draft season with the eighth-most cap space in the NFL. It's becoming clearer why general manager John Schneider felt he had to let some of the team's free agents leave this offseason as he tried to preserve some wiggle room.

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) celebrates after a play during the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Next offseason is where it could get tight, as the Seahawks have 34 players under contract for the 2027 campaign but have the ninth-least project cap space available.

It'll be another big free agency class also, with names like Leonard Williams, Uchenna Nwosu, Derick Hall, Zach Charbonnet and Ty Okada all set to be unrestricted free agents after the 2026 season. The available cap could drop even further once Witherspoon gets a new deal.

Luckily, Schneider is among the best in the business at finding ways to keep the Seahawks competitive via cap decisions. As long as the team is a contender, fans will have to trust his process.

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