Uchenna Nwosu isn’t exactly an unbiased voter here. But he doesn’t care.
The Seattle Seahawks edge rusher went on ESPN this week and made it clear who he thinks should take home the ESPY for NFL Player of the Year. His pick: teammate Jaxon Smith-Njigba. No hesitation. No diplomatic answer. Just blunt honesty from a guy who watched JSN torch secondaries all season.
“Just like you said, because he’s the best NFL player of the year,” Nwosu told the broadcast.
And honestly, the numbers back him up. Smith-Njigba put together a monster season during Seattle’s run to a second straight Super Bowl title. We’re talking 119 catches, 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns. That’s the kind of production that got him the league’s Offensive Player of the Year award already. The ESPY would just be the cherry on top.
The competition is no joke
But JSN isn’t walking into a coronation. The NFL Player of the Year category is stacked. Matthew Stafford is in there after his MVP season. Myles Garrett, who led the league in sacks in 2025, is also nominated — and now he’s Stafford’s teammate in Los Angeles. Then there’s Drake Maye of the Patriots, who took the loss to Seattle in the Super Bowl but still had enough of a year to earn a spot here.
Last year Saquon Barkley took this award home after his 2,000-yard season with the Eagles. So there’s precedent for a non-quarterback winning it. That’s good news for JSN.
Stafford’s got another nomination too, for Best Male Athlete across all sports. That one pits him against Lionel Messi, Shohei Ohtani and Knicks star Jalen Brunson. Tough crowd.
The ESPYS air July 15. Nwosu probably won’t be voting, but he’s already made his pitch. And honestly, after watching JSN all year, it’s hard to argue with him.
Leave a Comment