Sam Darnold on why JSN got so many targets in Week 1 for Seahawks

It should go without saying, but any passing offense needs more than one viable receiver to find any sort of success.

Apparently, the Seattle Seahawks missed the memo.

In Sunday's season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, Jaxon Smith-Njigba might as well have been the only Seahawks receiver on the field. The 2024 Pro Bowler had nine receptions on 13 targets for 124 yards, which is great in a vacuum, but the rest of Seattle's receivers did virtually nothing to help him.

Altogether, the rest of the Seahawks combined for seven receptions on nine targets for 26 yards. Yes, quarterback Sam Darnold targeted Smith-Njigba more than all of his other receivers combined, which is incredibly rare in the modern NFL.

Why did Smith-Njigba receive more than half of the targets, though? Well, Darnold explained himself on Thursday.

Sam Darnold wants to spread ball around more often

Sep 7, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

“It just happened to be that way," Darnold said, per The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar. "I’m just going through my progressions, going through my reads and 58% of the time it told me to go to Jax. That's just how it worked out.

"A lot of games are different. Sometimes they’re going to do things to take Jax, take Coop, take some other guys away from us. Other guys gotta be on their P’s and Q’s in terms of being able to beat 1-on-1 coverage. That’s what we’re looking at this week. It’s going to be a fun challenge for us.”

It's clear that Darnold and the Seahawks know they can't rely on just Smith-Njigba to make every play. Heck, head coach Mike Macdonald drove that point home just after the game.

"Yeah, Jax made a lot of great plays," Macdonald said. "There is more opportunity for him out there, which I'm sure he'll tell you. We're going to count on everybody. See who else steps up. It's not the Jax show every snap."

Smith-Njigba is a great receiver, and he could even become one of the league's best if he continues on his current trajectory. However, he can't do everything by himself, and if the Seahawks don't figure out how to spread the ball around soon, it's hard to see their offense really taking off.

Sam Darnold wants to spread ball around more often

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