Our guy Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the Offensive Player of the Year last season, is already getting recognized by NFL experts in their 2026 award predictions before the season even kicks off. It’s wild to think our Seahawks *won the Super Bowl* with JSN being a huge reason why just last year, and now he’s still popping up on these lists for the upcoming season.
The League Knows JSN is Still THAT Guy
Listen, the rest of the NFL might be trying to forget what Jaxon Smith-Njigba did in 2025, but the experts? They know. CBS Sports just dropped their award predictions for the 2026 season, and while Ja’Marr Chase and Jahmyr Gibbs are leading the pack for Offensive Player of the Year, our Emerald City hero Jaxon Smith-Njigba also nabbed a vote. This is the same JSN who transformed from a promising young receiver into the absolute best offensive player in the league last year, directly powering our Super Bowl run. It speaks volumes that even with new contenders grabbing headlines, his name is still in the conversation.
MVP and OPOY Favorites Are Set, But the Season’s Just Starting
It is not just about our guys, though. The experts are heavily banking on Joe Burrow for MVP, making him the top choice for the second year running. The dude won Comeback Player of the Year in 2024, leading the NFL with 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdowns, finishing fourth in MVP voting that year. The Bengals even beefed up their defense this offseason, so the logic is there for Burrow to get a big boost. For Offensive Player of the Year, Ja’Marr Chase is the favorite, pulling in five votes. He won the receiving triple crown back in 2024 when Burrow was healthy, which just shows how much firepower that offense can have. Jahmyr Gibbs is right behind him with four votes. These are big names, but seeing JSN right there, getting a vote, proves the respect he’s earned around the league is absolutely real.
The 2026 NFL season kicks off tomorrow, and these early predictions set the stage. With Jaxon Smith-Njigba already on the OPOY radar, you know he’s going to come out firing. We’ve seen what he can do, leading us to a Super Bowl, and now the league is still watching. Get ready for another electric season, 12s!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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