Jaxon Smith-Njigba took to social media this week to air frustration over a trophy mishap that had the Seahawks receiver questioning whether the NFL's awards department was paying attention.
Smith-Njigba, 24, was named the league's offensive player of the year after a banner 2025 season in which he set Seattle franchise records with 119 receptions and 1,793 receiving yards. The honor came on the heels of a Super Bowl championship run.
But when the trophy arrived, the engraving read "Defensive Player of The Year" instead.
In an Instagram video, Smith-Njigba didn't hold back. He pointed directly at the word "Defensive" and said, "Defense? Come on, bro." He then highlighted another error on the plaque: the phrase "The Year" appeared with "The" as a separate word. "One word? Man," he said.
The receiver, who recorded three tackles last season, concluded his video by suggesting the NFL simply keep the award. "Just keep the award at this point. Leave it in the history books, tho," he wrote in a caption accompanying the clip.
Smith-Njigba's 2025 campaign was nothing short of dominant. His 119 receptions shattered previous Seahawks benchmarks, as did his 1,793 receiving yards. The offensive explosion helped carry Seattle to a Super Bowl victory, cementing what many consider a career-defining season for the young star.
The performance earned him a four-year contract extension worth $168.6 million this offseason, securing him as a centerpiece of Seattle's offense for years to come.
The trophy error stands as an unusual stumble by the NFL's administrative machinery, one that Smith-Njigba clearly views as worth calling out publicly.
Author James Rodriguez: "Hard to imagine how a trophy this high-profile gets engraved with the wrong award category, but Smith-Njigba's reaction was pitch-perfect."
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