Jaxon Smith-Njigba's ‘Offensive Player Of The Year’ trophy came with a ‘disrespectful’ typo

Jaxon Smith-Njigba blasted the NFL as ‘disrespectful’ after receiving the wrong award trophy, complete with a glaring plaque typo.

Updated on: May 19, 2026 10:21 PM IST

By Shamik Banerjee

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Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba put the NFL under the scanner after he went public on Tuesday with a huge gaffe the league made.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba smiles during an NFL football news conference on March 25. (AP)

Smith-Njigba was voted the NFL's offensive player of the year for his stellar performance in the 2025-26 season that culminated in the Super Bowl win. But as he received the physical trophy by mail from the NFL, he found out that it was the wrong trophy.

In an Instagram story, Smith-Njigba shared that the NFL had sent him the "Defensive Player Of The Year" award instead. On top of it, he pointed out that the writing Defensive Player Of the Year" on the trophy's plaque had no space between "The" and "Year", putting the NFL under further scrutiny.

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What Jaxon Smith-Njigba Said

Jaxon Smith-Njigba shared a video of the trophy on Instagram story with his voice in the background. "I really wanna expose them," he said. "s getting disrespectful, guys." He then points his finger at the text "Defensive" on the plaque, saying, "come on man!." Then, the points at the "THEYEAR" mistake, and says, "one word?"

The video had a caption: "It's getting disrespectful at this point." Here's the video:

Jaxon Smith-Njigba was voted 'Offensive Player Of The Year' of the 2025-26 NFL season in the official NFL rankings done by the league in collaboration with the Associated Press. The wide receiver recorded 1,793 carrying yards and 10 touchdowns from 119 successful receptions.

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He was crucial to the Seahawks' Super Bowl win vs the New England Patriots, with four receptions and 27 passing yards.

As of now, the NFL has not issued an apology or a statement over the remark. However, Seahawks reporter Corbin K. Smith said on X that the NFL is sending him a new trophy.

Jaxon Smith-Ngijba's New $168 Million Contract

Thanks to his 'Offensive Player Of The Year' award winning performance last season, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has landed a whopping $168 million contract extension with the Seahawks. It made the 24-year-old the highest-paid wide receiver in the league's history.

Per the new contract, Smith-Njigba will earn $42.15 million a year and includes $120 million in guaranteed payments across the four years of the contract's tenure.

But more than the value of the contract itself, what has stood out is the Seahawks offence's reliance on his abilities and the willingness to further build the team around him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shamik Banerjee
Shamik is a journalist covering the United States for Hindustan Times. He has more than four years of experience reporting on US politics, sports, and major breaking stories across fast-moving cycles. He previously worked at Times Now and Sportskeeda, building strong newsroom instincts and digital storytelling skills. At HT.com, he focuses on day-to-day coverage of US political developments while also handling high-impact stories that demand speed, accuracy, clarity, and context under pressure. Shamik has extensive experience covering NFL game days over the past two years, coordinating live updates, analysis, and explainers. He is particularly drawn to large news moments such as US elections and the Super Bowl, where he thrives at the news desk working alongside the team. He holds degrees in Media Studies from Jamia Millia Islamia and English Literature from Jadavpur University. Before entering journalism, he briefly worked in digital marketing and political consultancy roles. Currently a Senior Content Producer at HT Digital, he is driven by curiosity, discipline, and a constant desire to explore new and obscure topics. Outside work, he enjoys reading, films, sports, and learning continuously.Read More

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