Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is on pace to do something no NFL receiver has ever done: surpass 2,000 receiving yards in a single season. Through seven games, he has 867 receiving yards, or 123.9 yards per contest, which projects to 2,106 yards over a full season. The previous single-season record was set by Calvin Johnson, who finished with 1,964 receiving yards for the Detroit Lions in 2012.
Smith-Njigba came close last year, topping 100 receiving yards in eight of the first 11 games before finishing with 1,793 yards, eighth most in a season. This year, he is the first player since Lance Alworth of the AFL San Diego Chargers, some 61 years ago, to reach 850 receiving yards and eight touchdowns through seven games. A more recent comparison is Tyreek Hill, who had 903 receiving yards through Week 8 of his second season with the Miami Dolphins in 2023 but finished at 1,799.
What makes Smith-Njigba different is that the Seahawks have little other offensive production. Quarterback Sam Darnold throws often, the running game is average, and no other Seattle receiver has 20 receptions or 200 receiving yards. The offense runs through one player, and he is frequently wide open. The upcoming schedule, with games against the Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders, offers favorable matchups.
For fantasy managers, the main risk is injury rather than defense. The addition of guard Quenton Nelson from the Indianapolis Colts should also help Darnold and the offensive skill players around him.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing