Jaxon Smith-Njigba is not letting the NFL’s award mistake disappear quietly.
The Seattle Seahawks star posted another apparent response on Instagram after the league botched his Offensive Player of the Year award, sharing an image of himself holding a card that read, “2025 Offensive Player of the Year.” It was a simple post, but the message was hard to miss after a strange run of public mistakes tied to one of the best receiving seasons in recent NFL history.
Heavy
Smith-Njigba won the 2025 AP Offensive Player of the Year award after leading the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards on 119 catches and 10 touchdowns. The Seahawks also noted that he became the first player in league history with at least 75 receiving yards in each of the first 11 games of a season.
That is why the latest post landed with Seahawks fans. This was not a fringe award or a small personal milestone. Smith-Njigba had a season that rewrote the franchise record book, put him among the league’s true offensive stars and gave Seattle one of the clearest individual award winners in the NFL.
Then the celebration got messy. Instead of becoming a household name, the NFL has repeatedly botched marketing one of its young superstars.
JSN’s Award Moment Has Turned Into a Bigger NFL Story
The latest Instagram Story comes after Smith-Njigba called out the NFL over the plaque on his Offensive Player of the Year award.
Smith-Njigba showed the trophy on Instagram with an error that read “Defensive Player of TheYear” instead of Offensive Player of the Year. Smith-Njigba called the mistake “disrespectful” while pointing out both the wrong award wording and the spacing issue on the plaque.
The NFL later apologized. NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy told People that the league had apologized to Smith-Njigba and that a corrected trophy was being made and sent to him.
The award plaque was not the only moment that bothered Seahawks fans. At NFL Honors, comedian Druski mispronounced Smith-Njigba’s name while presenting the award, a moment that quickly drew criticism online. Yahoo Sports described it as Smith-Njigba’s name being mispronounced “in the worst way,” while Field Gulls called the moment a “butchering” of his name during what should have been a career highlight.
Smith-Njigba’s brother, Canaan, also criticized the NFL after the plaque mistake. Canaan referenced the earlier NFL Honors moment while calling out the league’s handling of Smith-Njigba’s recognition.
That sequence is what gives the latest post more weight. Smith-Njigba did not need a long caption. Holding up the correct award title said enough.
The Mistake Hit Differently Because JSN Earned a Cleaner Moment
Smith-Njigba’s frustration is easy to understand because the details matter.
Names matter during an award ceremony, and the NFL should be the absolute best at this. The award title matters on the trophy. And for a player who had just completed a historic season, the mistakes created the feeling that the league had not handled his moment with the care it deserved.
This was supposed to be the clean coronation of one of the NFL’s newest stars. Instead, the weeks after Smith-Njigba’s win have included a mispronounced name, an incorrect plaque and an apology from the league.
The bigger Seahawks context matters, too.
Smith-Njigba entered the NFL as a first-round pick with a strong résumé from Ohio State, but his 2025 season changed his status. He was no longer just a promising young receiver or a high-upside piece of Seattle’s offense. He became the focal point of the passing game and one of the most productive players in the league.
His 1,793 receiving yards were more than he had produced in his first two NFL seasons combined.
That kind of season usually comes with a different level of league-wide recognition. For Smith-Njigba, the recognition came with corrections.
Seahawks Fans Have a New Reason to Rally Around JSN
The award mistake is not going to change Smith-Njigba’s season. The numbers are already in the books. The award has already been announced. The Seahawks already have a young offensive star who has moved into one of the most valuable roles in football.
But the saga has become part of his story because it reinforces something Seahawks fans already believed: Smith-Njigba earned more respect than he received.
That is why the latest Instagram Story works as both a joke and a message. Smith-Njigba can laugh about it, but he is also making sure the correct title stays visible.
For Seattle, there is also a useful edge to the whole thing. Great players often find motivation in perceived slights, and Smith-Njigba now has one of the easiest receipts in the league. The NFL did not just overlook him in a debate. It literally sent him an award with the wrong wording.
The corrected trophy may end the league’s part of the story. It probably will not end the way Smith-Njigba and Seahawks fans remember it.
Seahawks Star JSN Fires Back After NFL Botches Award