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NFL analyst throwing support behind Seahawks' JSN for NFL MVP

In an MVP race long dominated by QBs, Sports Illustrated says Seattle Seahawks' WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba deserves strong consideration in 2025.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

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It's the time of year when NFL fans and media grapple with an important question: What exactly does "valuable" mean? As in, Most Valuable Player.

Does it mean "best"? Does it mean most "popular"? Or, in our opinion, should it answer this question: "Where would that team be without that player?"

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Apply that question to Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks, and you understand why the receiver should at least get consideration for NFL 2025 MVP. And, sure enough, he is.

On a Tuesday in which JSN was voted to the Pro Bowl, he's also getting some love from Sports Illustrated as a Top 5 MVP candidate.

As expected, SI has among its leaders all quarterbacks: Matthew Stafford, Drake Maye, Josh Allen and Justin Herbert. No, JSN isn't a quarterback who touches the ball on literally every offensive play. But he's a receiver like none other this season, accounting for 36% of the Seahawks' catches, 44% of their receiving yards and 42% of their touchdown catches.

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That, my friends, is a one-man show.

"Smith-Njigba has been dominant all season and has played a pivotal role in the Seahawks being the No. 1 seed in the NFC with two regular-season games left," SI writes. "He won’t win MVP, but he deserves consideration from voters for his impressive body of work. He has a league-high 1,637 receiving yards, along with 10 touchdowns and 104 catches, averaging 15.7 yards per reception."

Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

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Richie Whitt
RICHIE WHITT

Richie Whitt has been a sports media fixture in Dallas-Fort Worth since graduating from UT-Arlington in 1986. His career is highlighted by successful stints in print (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), TV (NBC5) and radio (105.3 The Fan). During his almost 40-year tenure, he's blabbed and blogged on events ranging from Super Bowls to NBA Finals to World Series to Stanley Cups to Olympics to Wimbledons to World Cups. Whitt has been covering the NFL since 1989, and in 1993 authored The 'Boys Are Back, a book chronicling the Dallas Cowboys' run to Super Bowl XXVII.

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