Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s AP Offensive Player of the Year trophy apparently arrived with one major problem: it identified the Seattle Seahawks wide receiver as the Defensive Player of the Year.
Smith-Njigba called attention to the mistake in an Instagram Story, showing a close-up of the trophy plate with his name above the words “AP 2025 Defensive Player of the Year.” The Seahawks star added the caption, “Its getting disrespectful at this point. 🤔”
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In a follow-up Story, Smith-Njigba appeared to have a sense of humor about the error, posting a selfie with the message, “Just keep the award at this point. Leave it in the history books tho.”
The trophy read“JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA 2025 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THEYEAR.”
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Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Award Moment Already Had an Awkward Backstory
On its own, a trophy typo would be an embarrassing but fixable mistake. For Smith-Njigba, it lands differently because his Offensive Player of the Year moment already came with controversy.
Smith-Njigba was named the 2025 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year at NFL Honors in February after a massive season for the Seahawks. Smith-Njigba won the award in San Francisco, while the Seahawks noted that he became just the second player in franchise history to win AP Offensive Player of the Year, joining Shaun Alexander from the 2005 season.
But the ceremony itself became part of the story after presenter Druski drew criticism for the way he pronounced Smith-Njigba’s name. Awful Announcing reported that the Seahawks criticized the moment, and Sports Illustrated later reported that Druski said he reached out to Smith-Njigba after the backlash.
That context explains why Smith-Njigba’s “disrespectful” caption had more bite than a simple joke about a misspelled plaque. This was supposed to be the hardware marking the best season of his career. Instead, the trophy added another strange footnote to an award night that had already become messier than it needed to be.
The Trophy Error Does Not Change Smith-Njigba’s Seahawks Breakout
The actual award was never in question. Smith-Njigba was the AP Offensive Player of the Year after one of the best receiving seasons in Seahawks history.
Seattle’s official site credited Smith-Njigba with 1,793 receiving yards, 119 receptions and 10 touchdowns during the 2025 campaign. The team also noted that he won the NFL’s Air and Ground Player of the Year award at NFL Honors.
That production is why the mistake is so glaring. Smith-Njigba did not win a marginal award or a lesser-known honor. He won one of the NFL’s signature individual awards, after becoming the centerpiece of Seattle’s passing game and one of the biggest reasons the Seahawks’ offense had national credibility.
The Professional Football Writers of America also named Smith-Njigba its Offensive Player of the Year after he led the NFL in receiving yards, earned unanimous first-team All-Pro honors and made his second straight Pro Bowl.
In other words, the correct label mattered — especially when it came after the biggest season of his career, and a Super Bowl win to cap it off.
Why the Seahawks Should Care Beyond the Joke
The Seahawks can laugh about the visual because the mistake is obvious. Smith-Njigba’s reaction was funny, and the “leave it in the history books” line is the kind of thing that will travel quickly with fans.
But the larger point is about respect for a player who has become one of Seattle’s defining stars.
Smith-Njigba’s rise changed the Seahawks’ offensive identity. He went from promising young receiver to award-winning centerpiece, giving Seattle a true No. 1 option and putting his name beside Alexander in franchise award history. For a team trying to sustain contender status, that matters more than the trophy mix-up itself.
There is no indication yet that the NFL or AP will send Smith-Njigba a corrected trophy, though the fix should be straightforward. Until then, the wrong award may become part of the legend: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Offensive Player of the Year, accidentally honored as Defensive Player of “Theyear.”
For Seahawks fans, the joke works because the season was already historic. The typo did not take away the honor. It just gave Smith-Njigba another reason to ask for his name — and his award — to be handled correctly.
Seahawks Star Jaxon Smith-Njigba Calls Out NFL After ‘Disrespectful’ News