Is Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba playing in the 2023 season opener against the Rams on Sunday? Here's the latest injury update.
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba suffered a broken wrist bone in the offseason. Will he be ready to play in Week 1?
The Ohio State product underwent surgery for his wrist less than three weeks ago, which at the time put his Week 1 status in question. In his final year with the Buckeyes, Smith-Njigba was dealing with a hamstring injury for most of the season.
Smith-Njigba was spotted practicing in a full capacity this past week and wasn't listed on Seattle's final injury report on Friday. This bodes extremely well for his chance to play on Sunday against the Rams at Lumen Field.
The No. 20 overall pick in the 2023 draft could take his first NFL snaps alongside D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in Week 1.
Here is the latest update on Smith-Njigba's status for Week 1.
Seahawks injury update: Jaxon Smith-Njigba will play in Week 1
Since Jaxon Smith-Njigba avoided landing on the team's Week 1 injury report, all signals point toward the rookie playing in Week 1 against the Rams at 4:25 p.m. ET.
Injury timeline: Smith-Njigba suffered the wrist injury on a 48-yard catch in a preseason game against the Cowboys on August 19.
Expected return: Back when Smith-Njigba underwent surgery, he had an expected recovery timeline of three to four weeks. He was spotted back on the field in late August with a heavily wrapped wrist; he was listed as limited in Thursday's practice but managed to avoid the injury report altogether on Friday. Smith-Njigba should be good to go for Week 1.
Potential replacements: In the event Smith-Njigba suffers a setback, undrafted free agent Jake Bobo and practice squad stand-out Cody Thompson will see more snaps.
Coach's quote: Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said of Smith-Njigba's swift recovery, "Everything has surprised me. It could have been an entirely different process throughout, but he was a true competitor, he's the real deal, and he demonstrated that."
