The Seattle Seahawks will face the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl LX rematch to open up the 2026 NFL season in Week 1. Moreover, it will see an intriguing matchup between cornerback Christian Gonzalez and wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Despite the amazing 2025 season that Smith-Njigba had, the Patriots‘ secondary kept the Seahawks star in check during that Super Bowl contest roughly seven months ago. Smith-Njigba recorded four receptions for 27 receiving yards, and New England’s secondary will look to replicate that performance.
One of the players tasked with quieting Smith-Njigba in Week 1 is Gonzalez. On Sept. 5, Gonzalez spoke with the media and shared his thoughts on going up against the Seahawks wideout.
“Jaxon’s a great, great receiver,” Gonzalez told reporters. “I respect him completely. I mean, he can do it all. Everybody saw the year he had last year, and just being from the same area, it’s real cool to watch each other come up and then be able to play on the biggest stage and support each other and see each other do what we do. So, it’s fun.”
Last season, Smith-Njigba played 525 pass snaps for the Seahawks, earning a 92.8 overall PFF grade.
Moreover, he hauled in 119 receptions on 157 targets for 1,793 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Smith-Njigba also averaged 15.1 yards per reception and generated 529 yards after the catch.
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Gonzalez also shared what surprised him about Smith-Njigba having to cover and limit his impact in a game.
“Maybe not didn’t learn, but what kind of stood out just how smooth he is as an athlete,” Gonzalez added. “I mean, he doesn’t really look like he’s running, but he’s moving pretty fast.
“So he’s just really smooth and makes everything look the same. That’s a skill set that a lot of receivers use to confuse the corners: Making everything look the same and he does a very good job at that.”
With the home crowd behind them and the energy of raising a championship banner, Smith-Njigba will look to have a better game this time around the Patriots. It will be interesting to see if the Seahawks passing game can hit the ground running as Smith-Njigba looks to continue establishing himself as the best wideout in the NFL.
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Smith-Njigba and the Seahawks offense will be looking to show that their group is improved and looking to build off last season. Nonetheless, the Patriots’ defense will be their first big test, but it won’t be the biggest.
Seattle will play the Los Angeles Rams twice as both teams fight to win the NFC West. On Sept. 1, Smith-Njigba appeared on “SportsCenter” to share his thoughts on facing the Rams’ defense.
“I mean, a great rival,” Smith-Njigba said. “They made some big-time moves. I think them getting Aaron Donald is great for them and we understand that. But like I said, we kind of don’t care. We’re gonna take these challenges head-on and we’re excited about it, looking forward to it, and really just worried about us and what we have to do.”
Christian Gonzalez Gets Blunt on Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba