Mike Macdonald: Jaxon Smith-Njigba a "foundational piece" of who we want to be

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Seahawks General Manager John Schneider said on Wednesday that he felt the team was "blessed" when wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba fell to them with the 20th overall pick in 2023 and the feeling hasn't changed over the three years. Smith-Njigba broke out with 100 catches in his second season and won the offensive player of the year award in 2025 after posting 119 catches for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns. The icing on the cake came in the postseason when Smith-Njigba played a starring role for the Super Bowl champs and the Seahawks made it clear that they see a lot more of the same to come this month. A four-year, $168.6 million contract extension came together this month and head coach Mike Macdonald said at a press conference that it solidifies the wideout as a player they will be building the franchise around for years to come. "One of the great things that paints a great picture about what Jax means to us being a foundational piece of our football team and our organization is we've got a full house here," Macdonald said, via the team's website. "This is pretty awesome. We've got dang near the whole Seattle Seahawks organization supporting Jax on this day. I just want to emphasize how excited we are. He's going to be here and he's a foundational piece, he's a cornerstone of our team. Just being able to see his growth over the two years that we've been here. I mean, the sky's the limit. This is the beginning. This is another iteration of our football team, and Jax is obviously going to be a huge part of it and where we want to go and where we want to take our team, and I know it's early in his career, but he's already a leader on our team and will be for a long time. So we're really excited." The Seahawks also selected cornerback Devon Witherspoon in the first round in 2023 and getting a deal done with him would give the Seahawks another pillar as they try to maintain the level they reached during the 2025 season.