Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba Beats Out Puka Nacua for Offensive Player of the Year

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The Seattle Seahawks challenged Jaxon Smith-Njigba to become their clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver this past offseason after they said goodbye to DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Smith-Njigba delivered and then some, leading him to receive one of the game’s highest individual honors. Smith-Njigba has won Offensive Player of the Year, it was announced at Thursday’s NFL Honors. The Seahawks’ wide receiver edged out Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua for the award as the two NFC West standouts had another close battle this season. Smith-Njigba, 23, made his case to win Offensive Player of the Year by leading the league in receiving yards (1,793), doing so by quickly forming a strong connection with first-year Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold. He also finished fourth in receptions (119) and tied for sixth in receiving touchdowns (10). On top of the strong statistics, Smith-Njigba made a handful of highlight plays. His one-handed catch in the Seahawks’ NFC Championship Game was one of the top plays of the postseason as he’s also demonstrated a strong route-running ability. FOX Sports lead NFL analyst Tom Brady explained what makes Smith-Njigba’s game so special when he was on the cal for the Seahawks’ NFC title win. “He catches everything! One-handed, two-handed, off the fingertips — he’s so graceful with his body control. He’s like an ice skater out there when I see him run routes,” Brady said. “He glides and his shoulder plane never dips. It’s always the same height. A lot of receivers, when they run, if they’re speeding up or stopping, their shoulder planes will rise or fall. He maintains the same shoulder plane when he runs his route.” This is a developing story and will be updated.