Jaxon Smith-Njigba Emerges in Seattle Seahawks Win vs. Arizona Cardinals

The Seattle Seahawks' win over the Arizona Cardinals featured a breakout performance from rookie receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Fresh off their Week 6 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Seattle Seahawks got back to their winning ways in their return to Lumen Field on Sunday with a 20-10 win over an NFC West rival in the Arizona Cardinals. 

A week prior in the loss to the Bengals, the Seattle offense struggled to convert redzone trips into points and keep hold of the football as quarterback Geno Smith threw two interceptions. On Sunday against Arizona, it seemed like he and the Seahawks would have a tougher time at a potential rebound performance due to the absence of star receiver DK Metcalf.

However, that didn't stop rookie first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba from emerging as a reliable playmaker for Smith and the Seahawks offense. 

The former Ohio State Buckeye, who missed all but four games of his final season at the collegiate level, put together his best performance to date, totaling a team-leading four receptions for 63 yards while also reeling in his first career touchdown as a pro.

"He just feels so much better and contributing so well," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of Smith-Njigba postgame. "The call was a great call from Shane [Waldron], and it was easy that Geno just threw it at him down on the goal-line in the touchdown. But there were the other plays that were really good plays for him so like I said, those guys play like starters."

Oct 22, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at Lumen Field.   / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Although the touchdown catch will undoubtedly appear frequently on highlight reels for Smith-Njigba, he also reeled in other catches that, while ultimately didn't result in him finding the endzone, helped extend drives. 

Three of Smith-Njigba's catches resulted in first downs, as he proved to be a chain-mover for the Seahawks. The touchdown catch was the only one that didn't result in a "first down," however, Smith-Njigba likely wouldn't want that play to end any other way. 

Sunday was the type of performance that Seahawk fans expected of Smith-Njigba. and could be just the beginning of the rookie's emergence as a viable receiver for a Seattle team looking to contend in the NFC.