Quarterback Sam Darnold is to lead the Seattle Seahawks back to the playoffs in the NFL. The newcomer now raved in the highest tones of Wide Receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
“He is simply unique, the way he runs his routes, his maneuverability, how he moves in his cuts, his speed, really everything,” enthused Sam Darnold after a public training session of the Seattle Seahawks in Lumen at home.
“I compared his movements with those of an ice hockey player on the ice,” said the quarterback: “Sometimes you have the feeling that he would just scade around on the ice as he runs his cuts.”
“Even when I wasn’t in his team yet, I always had the feeling that he was one of the best players in the NFL when it comes to running after the catch. It was something special to see that personally, every day during the training camp,” sang Darnold on Smith-Njigba.
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NFL: Do Darnold and Smith-Njigba form a Seahawks dream duo?
The Seahawks selected Smith-Njigba in the NFL Draft 2023 in the first round with the 20th pick. The 23-year-old came to 1130 Receiving Yards and six touchdowns in 17 games last season.
After the departures from DK Metcalf (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Tyler Lockett (Tennessee Titans), Smith-Njigba is likely to play an even bigger role in the upcoming NFL game time, although the Seahawks in the person of Cooper Kupp (formerly Los Angeles Rams) also added a prominent newcomer to their receiving corps.
Meanwhile, Darnold moved to Seattle in the past NFL Free Agency. The quarterback shone last season at the Minnesota Vikings (35 touchdowns/ 12 interceptions). The Seahawks hope that Darnold and Smith-Njigba establish a dangerous connection.