Seahawks Exercise 2027 Options on Smith-Njigba and Witherspoon: Contract Details and Future Negotiations
The Seahawks have officially exercised the 2027 options on the first-round contracts of receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Smith-Njigba, the 20th overall pick in 2023, will have a fully-guaranteed salary of $23.852 million for 2027, while Witherspoon, taken fifth overall, will make $21.161 million in 2027. Both players will be looking for new contracts soon, with the fifth-year option providing protection in case of an injury before May 1, 2026.
Smith-Njigba has expressed his desire to be the highest-paid receiver in the NFL, which would require a new contract with an average yearly salary exceeding $40 million. To achieve this, the Seahawks would need to sign him to a five-year, $148.4 million deal, with an average yearly salary of $29.68 million. Despite the timing of their new contracts, the Seahawks are committed to keeping both Smith-Njigba and Witherspoon on the team.
As the fifth-year option season begins, other teams will also be exercising options on 2023 first-round draft picks who have performed well in their first three seasons. In 2023, there were only 31 first-round picks, with the Dolphins losing theirs due to tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton.