Jaxon Smith Njigba and the Seahawks’ contract inflection point after the fifth-year option move

jaxon smith njigba is now locked into a clearer contract path in Seattle after the Seahawks exercised his fifth-year option on Friday, a move that also applied to cornerback Devon Witherspoon. The decision keeps both players under contract for at least the next two seasons and positions the franchise for near-term negotiations on bigger deals.

What happens when Jaxon Smith Njigba’s fifth-year option is exercised?

Seattle announced it is exercising the fifth-year options on wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and cornerback Devon Witherspoon. The fifth-year option is fully guaranteed and, for Smith-Njigba, projected to be roughly $23. 852 million; Witherspoon’s is projected at $21. 161 million, based on projections from Over The Cap. In a separate framing of the same option-year outlook, Smith-Njigba is expected to make approximately $23. 8 million in 2027, with Witherspoon projected at about $21. 1 million.

Only first-round picks have fifth-year options, and teams had until May 1 to pick up the fifth-year options on first-round picks from the 2023 NFL Draft. Seattle’s move makes the team the first this offseason to use the fifth-year option, and it formally extends the runway to pursue longer-term extensions with both players’ representatives.

What if Seattle uses the option move as a bridge to a record extension?

The option decision arrives alongside another major contract development: the Seahawks have agreed to terms with wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a four-year, $168. 6 million contract extension. The option exercise and the extension agreement both point in the same direction—Seattle prioritizing continuity with its young core as it maps out the post-title roster.

The on-field case for a premium commitment is rooted in Smith-Njigba’s recent production and accolades. He was described as instrumental in Seattle’s quest to Super Bowl LX. The 20th overall pick of 2023 developed into one of the league’s best receivers, and he is coming off a career year that included a league-leading 1, 793 receiving yards, 119 receptions, and 10 touchdowns in 17 games. He was also a unanimous All-Pro selection in 2025 and won Offensive Player of the Year. After winning the Lombardi Trophy, Smith-Njigba indicated he was not “pressed” into getting a new contract extension while also expressing a belief that he deserves to be the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL.

With Witherspoon, the option locks in a player described as one of the best corners, with a game marked by blitzing and disruption in Mike Macdonald’s defense. Witherspoon has made three consecutive Pro Bowls since entering the league and was voted second-team All-Pro. Together, the two options reduce near-term uncertainty at premium positions, while also signaling that Seattle intends to keep its top-end homegrown talent in place even as other contributors have signed elsewhere in free agency.

What if the Seahawks’ cap and leverage dynamics shape the next phase?

Fifth-year options were introduced in the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement and provide clubs with a structured mechanism to extend control over first-round picks into a fifth season. In Seattle’s recent history, the team has exercised the option on a first-round pick only once since the CBA change: left tackle Charles Cross, drafted ninth in 2022, who later signed a four-year, $104. 4 million extension in early January.

For Seattle, the option exercises on both Smith-Njigba and Witherspoon function as a negotiating bridge: the players remain under contract through the option year, but the organization also now has a clear window to pursue longer-term agreements. The projections attached to the option year help define the baseline cost of waiting, while Smith-Njigba’s stated confidence in his market value underscores how performance, honors, and timing can pull negotiations toward the top end of the salary spectrum.

At the same time, the team’s public posture is straightforward: the move keeps both players in Seattle for at least the next two seasons and places them “in line for big deals in the near future. ” The next chapter is less about whether Seattle wants to keep its stars, and more about how quickly and on what terms the franchise finalizes its long-term commitments—starting with jaxon smith njigba.