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Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the NFL's reigning Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year, recently discovered an error on his award trophy. In a video posted to his Instagram account, Smith-Njigba showed that his trophy mistakenly labeled him as the "2025 Defensive Player of Theyear." The Seattle Seahawks star expressed his frustration, saying, "I really want to expose them. It's getting disrespectful, guys."
The trophy not only misidentified his award but also included a typographical error, with "TheYear" written as one word. Smith-Njigba humorously pointed out the mistake, saying, "One word? Man."
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy acknowledged the mistake and stated that the league would send Smith-Njigba a corrected trophy. "We sincerely apologize to Jaxon for the error and are in the process of creating and shipping him a new trophy," McCarthy told The Athletic.
Despite the trophy mishap, Smith-Njigba's achievements remain impressive. His stellar 2025 season included 119 receptions, 1,793 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns, leading the Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots. His performance earned him a four-year, $168.6 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history.
He was the third NFL player to surpass 1,700 receiving yards at age 23 or younger, joining Isaac Bruce and Justin Jefferson. His record-setting season has solidified his place among the league's top offensive players.