The Seattle Seahawks have several offensive playmakers who will test the New England Patriots in the season opener Wednesday. No one is a bigger test in the Seattle offense than the NFL’s defending Offensive Player of the Year, receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Two days before the Super Bowl rematch, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel answered what makes Smith-Njigba so difficult to stop.
“Just the suddenness, route craft,” Vrabel told reporters Monday. “He is smooth. He can play at different speeds, he plays inside, he runs a full route tree, he is strong at the catch point. But I just think that the savviness and the ability to get in and out of breaks is really impressive.”
The Patriots did a good job of slowing down Smith-Njigba in the Super Bowl. During the big game, the Seahawks top wideout caught just four of 10 targets for 27 yards.
But with the Patriots focused on Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks ground game dominated the Super Bowl victory.
The Seahawks and Patriots will meet in the league’s first primetime season opener Super Bowl rematch in a decade Wednesday night. Kickoff will be 5:20 pm PT at Lumen Field on September 9.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Out for Better Showing vs. Patriots
With 119 catches, 1,793 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, Smith-Njigba experienced a special campaign in 2025. During the regular season, opponents held him to under 70 receiving yards in just one game.
In the NFC championship game against one of the top defenses in the league, Smith-Njigba posted 10 catches, 153 receiving yards and a touchdown to defeat the Los Angeles Rams.
But unfortunately for the Seahawks, Smith-Njigba didn’t save his best for last. While he may have drawn attention away from other Seahawks playmakers, Seattle’s top wideout had his second-lowest yardage output of 2025 in the big game.
Of course, the Seahawks still won by a considerably margin. And now entering Week 1, Smith-Njigba might be very motivated to perform better against Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez and company.
Smith-Njigba and the Seahawks could also still get a boost with a Gonzalez absence. The Patriots have reportedly not made any progress on their contract standoff with Gonzalez, so it’s possible the Patriots top cornerback won’t play Wednesday.
No one could potentially benefit more from Gonzalez not playing than Smith-Njigba.
Last week, Vrabel said he expects anyone healthy to play when he received a question about Gonzalez’s playing status. The cornerback, though, cast doubt on his own availability.
On Monday, Vrabel didn’t have a new update on Gonzalez’s status.
Patriots’ Mike Vrabel Opens up on Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba