Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s hot start has him in some historic company.
Smith-Njigba is leading the NFL with 405 receiving yards and six touchdowns and is tied for No. 1 with 27 total receptions. He has been a model of consistency so far, topping the century mark in all three games and helping the defending Super Bowl champs to jump out to a 2-1 start.
The team shared some news about Smith-Njigba’s hot start, which is matched by only one other receiver in NFL history.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is Already Making NFL History This Season
On Tuesday, the team took to social media to add some perspective to the star wide receiver’s fast start.
“JSN joined Jerry Rice as the only players in NFL history with 120+ receiving yards and one or more receiving touchdowns in each of the first three games of a season,” the team announced in a post on X.
Though still early in the season, Smith-Njigba is well on pace to top his league-leading 119 receptions for 1,793 yards from last season.
Seahawks Receiver Earning Early MVP Buzz
Smith-Njigba’s hot start also has him in a rare spot for a non-quarterback. CBS Sports reporter Bryan DeArdo noted that he is in the thick of the MVP race, ranking No. 2 just behind Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
“The league’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year, Smith-Njigba is once again making a case to become the first receiver to win league MVP,” DeArdo wrote. “He closed the gap on Allen after catching a season-high 10 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns in Seattle’s 33-31 loss to Washington.”
DeArdo added that Smith-Njigba is on a pace that would shatter the league record for receiving yards in a season.
“The 24-year-old Smith-Njigba is on pace to make history. He leads the NFL in receptions (27, tied with New Orleans’ Chris Olave), receiving yards (406) and touchdown catches (six),” DeArdo wrote. “He is on pace to shatter both Randy Moss’ single-season record for touchdown receptions (23 in 2007) and Calvin Johnson’s single-season receiving yardage record (1,964 yards in 2012). He’s also on pace to break Michael Thomas’ single-season receptions mark (149 in 2019).”
Seahawks Announce Historic Jaxon Smith-Njigba News Amid Hot Start