Mike Macdonald wants to see other Seahawks step up on offense besides JSN

There wasn't much to get excited about regarding the Seattle Seahawks' offense in Sunday's 17-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

However, emerging star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the lone bright spot in an otherwise slow first outing for Klint Kubiak's new offense. Smith Njigba finished with nine catches for 124 yards, including a 40-yard reception down the left sideline on Seattle's final drive before Sam Darnold's game-ending turnover sealed the team's fate.

While the game did solidify Smith-Njigba's No. 1 wide receiver status in the offense, it also left a lot to be desired from the team's other weapons. Head coach Mike Macdonald made it clear he wasn't satisfied with the production.

"Jax made a lot of great plays. There’s more opportunities for him out there, which I’m sure he’ll tell ya," Macdonald said. "We’re gonna count on everybody, you know, see who else steps up so it’s not the Jax show every snap."

Someone hit rewind.

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/Jwb6at6Dm3
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 7, 2025

Cooper Kupp had just two catches on just three targets for 15 yards in his Seahawks debut. Rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo had one catch for seven yards. Smith-Njigba accounted for nine of Darnold's 16 completed passes.

On the ground, running backs Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III are in a clear-cut timeshare. Charbonnet had 12 rushes for 47 yards and a touchdown, while Walker totaled just 10 carries for 20 yards.

Kubiak's offense functions best when the ground game is rolling, and 84 yards won't cut it in that situation. Smith-Njigba stepped up when he needed to, but there was only so much he could do to prop up the offense.

With the amount of change the offense has seen in personnel, coaching and scheme, a slow start isn't surprising. The Seahawks will continue to try and work out the kinks when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road in Week 2.

More Seahawks on SI stories