Seattle Seahawks rookie wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba's status for Week 1 of the 2023 NFL regular season is reportedly in question due to a wrist injury.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Smith-Njigba injured his wrist during Seattle's preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, and he is set to undergo surgery in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Schefter added that there is still a chance the rookie first-round pick could be available for Week 1, but it will depend on how the surgery goes.
Corbin K. Smith @CorbinSmithNFLPer Pete Carroll, Jaxon Smith-Njigba had "slight fracture" in wrist and <a href="">#Seahawks</a> are optimistic on 3-4 week timeline, which would put him right up against being ready for Week 1.
At No. 20 overall, the Seahawks made Smith-Njigba the first wideout selected in the 2023 NFL draft, and perhaps gave themselves the most dynamic receiving corps in the league.
Seattle was already near the top thanks to DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but Smith-Njigba figured to give quarterback Geno Smith an explosive option out of the slot as well.
Early returns on the pick were good, as Smith-Njigba impressed in training camp and made six catches for 73 yards in the Seahawks' first two preseason games.
Now, the Seahawks are facing the possibility of being without the rookie phenom to start the 2023 season, although the organization knew there were injury risks when it selected him.
Smith-Njigba enjoyed a monster 2021 season at Ohio State, finishing with 95 receptions for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns, but he couldn't stay on the field last season.
A hamstring injury limited JSN to just three games, and he finished with only five catches for 43 yards.
Despite that, Smith-Njigba was viewed as a slam dunk first-round pick entering the 2023 NFL draft, and the Seahawks thought enough of him to take him ahead of every other receiver.
Smith-Njigba potentially already missing time is a gut punch for the Seahawks, but it should be noted that Smith is coming off a career year without the help of JSN.
Throwing primarily to Metcalf and Lockett, Smith was named a Pro Bowler for the first time last season when he led the league by completing 69.8 percent of his passes and also threw for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Additionally, Smith led the Seahawks to a 9-8 record and a playoff berth despite most pundits picking them to be one of the worst teams in the league.
All of that suggests Smith and the Seattle offense can thrive without Smith-Njigba, but his absence would take an electric element away from the unit.
Smith-Njigba has about three weeks to heal before the Seahawks open their 2023 regular-season slate against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 10, or else Seattle will go to battle with Metcalf and Lockett, and not much else to speak of at wideout.
