Jaxon Smith-Njigba shares bold statement on Seahawks' final drive

If Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba wants to truly become one of the NFL's elite, then coming through in the clutch is a must.

That's not to say that Smith-Njigba wasn't clutch before. The biggest play of his rookie season was a game-winning touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles on "Monday Night Football." As the Seahawks' undisputed No. 1 receiver now, though, the expectation is that he will be someone Sam Darnold can always look to when the lights are brightest.

Sure enough, he was exactly that in Thursday's win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Smith-Njigba had four receptions for 73 yards on the night, but none bigger than his 22-yard gain on the final drive. That catch set up Jason Myers' 52-yard field goal to help the Seahawks earn a big NFC West win and improve to 3-1 on the season.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba comes up clutch for Seahawks

Sep 25, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) runs against the Arizona Cardinals in the third quarter at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The situation seemed dicey entering the final drive, especially after the Seahawks blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter. However, Smith-Njigba's confidence never wavered.

"I had no doubt we were going to go down there and score honestly," Smith-Njigba told reporters after the game. "And them making a huge penalty that got us on the 40-yard line, I knew that we just needed one play, a couple plays and Jason's (Myers) going to go down there and seal the deal for us, if not score.

"Sam made a perfect throw. Back shoulder ball, the corner was on top of me, so he just placed it perfectly and it was an easy grab."

Smith-Njigba's catch was impressive, but so was his effort to get out of bounds. That saved the Seahawks a precious few seconds and allowed them to preserve their last timeout so they wouldn't have to rush Myers onto the field.

What an effort by JSN to get out of bounds! #TNFonPrime pic.twitter.com/wPKrtBGQl7
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) September 26, 2025

"Yeah, definitely, just help the team out," Smith-Njigba said. "Like I said a couple weeks ago, I think our coaches put us in a great position. We've been working (on) concepts like that and strategies like that for a long time. So it was just another play, (I) knew what we had to do and just executed it."

Through four games, Smith-Njigba has 26 receptions on 34 targets for 402 yards (a league-high, but he's also played an extra game compared to everyone else) and one touchdown. While he's putting up great numbers, the fact that he always seems to be in the right place at the right time is what's making him truly special.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba comes up clutch for Seahawks

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