Jaxon Smith-Njigba points out glaring mistake on offensive player of the year award: ‘It’s getting disrespectful’
Seattle Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has established himself as the best receiver in football in 2025. Smith-Njigba led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards, scoring 10 touchdowns en route to an All-Pro season. Although it wasn’t enough to earn him the MVP award, Smith-Njigba did win the Offensive Player of the Year award…or so he thought.
Turns out someone made a pretty egregious mistake regarding Smith-Njigba’s physical reward. At first glance, you might think it has something to do with the recipient’s name, which isn’t the easiest to spell, but you’d be wrong. It was more embarrassing than that.
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Smith-Njigba received the “2025 Defensive Player of the Year” award… according to his trophy.
He was the one who brought attention to the issue, posting a short story on his Instagram page highlighting the error.
It’s an unfortunate mistake for everyone involved, as Smith-Njigba’s excellence extended far beyond the regular season. During the team’s Super Bowl run, Smith-Njigba caught 17 passes for 199 yards and two scores, including a 153-yard burst that propelled the Seahawks past the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game.
Naturally, one has to wonder if Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett – the true Defensive Player of the Year – was mistakenly awarded the “Offensive Player of the Year” award. Garrett has yet to provide any evidence to suggest there was any confusion over the two trophies.
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Either the league got it right or Garrett didn’t notice. He already has another Defensive Player of the Year award at home, so you can’t blame him if he didn’t watch his second one too well.
Given the confusion, it seems likely that Smith-Njigba will receive a corrected trophy in the coming weeks.
