Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a Super Bowl champion.
The former Ohio State receiver completed a historically great season with a Super Bowl ring as the Seattle Seahawks dominated the New England Patriots, 29-13, in Super Bowl LX.
Smith-Njigba becomes the 34th Buckeye to win the Super Bowl as a member of the winning team’s active roster. He’s the second former Ohio State wide receiver to win the Super Bowl in as many years, joining Parris Campbell, who won last season’s Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.
In a game dominated by the Seahawks’ defense, JSN had a quiet night in the Super Bowl, catching just four passes for 27 yards – though he likely would have had an 86-yard touchdown when he got wide open deep in the first quarter if not for an errant throw by Sam Darnold. Smith-Njigba missed part of the second half while being evaluated for a concussion, though he was ultimately able to return.
Darnold escapes pressure and just misses JSN. 4th down.
— NFL (@NFL) February 9, 2026
Super Bowl LX on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/rLTaELh5jV
| Player | Years (Teams) |
|---|---|
| MATT SNELL | 1969 (New York Jets) |
| JIM TYRER | 1970 (Kansas City Chiefs) |
| BOB VOGEL | 1971 (Baltimore Colts) |
| PAUL WARFIELD | 1973, 1974 (Miami Dolphins) |
| JACK TATUM | 1977 (Oakland Raiders) |
| MORRIS BRADSHAW | 1977, 1981 (Oakland Raiders) |
| NEAL COLZIE | 1977 (Oakland Raiders) |
| JOHN FRANK | 1985, 1989 (San Francisco 49ers) |
| SHAUN GAYLE | 1986 (Chicago Bears) |
| MIKE TOMCZAK | 1986 (Chicago Bears) |
| PEPPER JOHNSON | 1987, 1991 (New York Giants) |
| WILLIAM ROBERTS | 1987, 1991 (New York Giants) |
| JIM LACHEY | 1992 (Washington Redskins) |
| TITO PAUL | 1999 (Denver Broncos) |
| ORLANDO PACE | 2000 (St. Louis Rams) |
| JOE GERMAINE | 2000 (St. Louis Rams) |
| LORENZO STYLES | 2000 (St. Louis Rams) |
| MIKE VRABEL | 2002, 2004, 2005 (New England Patriots) |
| RICKEY DUDLEY | 2003 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) |
| TOM TUPA | 2003 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) |
| SANTONIO HOLMES | 2009 (Pittsburgh Steelers) |
| MALCOLM JENKINS | 2010 (New Orleans Saints), 2018 (Philadelphia Eagles) |
| WILL SMITH | 2010 (New Orleans Saints) |
| A.J. HAWK | 2011 (Green Bay Packers) |
| RYAN PICKETT | 2011 (Green Bay Packers) |
| MATT WILHELM | 2011 (Green Bay Packers) |
| JAKE BALLARD | 2012 (New York Giants) |
| JIM CORDLE | 2012 (New York Giants) |
| NATE EBNER | 2015, 2017, 2019 (New England Patriots) |
| BRADLEY ROBY | 2016 (Denver Broncos) |
| JOHN SIMON | 2019 (New England Patriots) |
| DARRON LEE | 2020 (Kansas City Chiefs) |
| PARRIS CAMPBELL | 2025 (Philadelphia Eagles) |
| JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA | 2026 (Seattle Seahawks) |
| Note: The years listed are the years in which the Super Bowls were played. | |
That said, Smith-Njigba’s season as a whole was anything but quiet. His Super Bowl triumph culminates one of the greatest seasons ever for an NFL receiver and arguably the best NFL season ever for a former Ohio State player.
Smith-Njigba was the NFL’s leading receiver during the regular season, catching 119 passes for 1,793 yards – the eighth-most in a single season in NFL history – and 10 touchdowns. The only receiver with more receiving yards in a season to win the Super Bowl in the same year was Cooper Kupp – Smith-Njigba’s current Seahawks teammate – who had 1,947 receiving yards in the 2021 regular season before going on to win the Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams.
Smith-Njigba was also the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year, becoming the first Buckeye to win an NFL Player of the Year award and a Super Bowl in the same season. He’s only the sixth player from any school to win the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year award and the Super Bowl in the same season, joining Saquon Barkley (2024), Kupp (2021), Marshall Faulk (1999), Terrell Davis (1998), Joe Montana (1989) and Roger Craig (1988).
Smith-Njigba’s Super Bowl victory came at the expense of three other former Buckeyes: Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, running back coach TreVeyon Henderson and offensive tackle Thayer Munford Jr. In a losing effort, Henderson had 19 rushing yards on six carries, three catches for 26 yards and a 38-yard kickoff return.
Nevertheless, it was a successful season for those three Buckeyes. In his first season coaching the Patriots, Vrabel won the AP NFL Coach of the Year award for the second time and became just the second former Ohio State player to lead a team to the Super Bowl as a head coach. Henderson had a dynamic rookie year, running for 911 yards and nine touchdowns in his first NFL regular season after helping lead Ohio State to a national championship a year ago. Munford saw regular playing time off the bench as a sixth offensive lineman after the Patriots signed him off the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad in November.
| PLAYER | POSITION | TEAM | SUPER BOWL STATS | PLAYOFF STATS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TREVEYON HENDERSON | RB | PATRIOTS | 6 carries, 19 yards; 3 catches, 26 yards; 1 KR, 38 yards | 30 carries, 76 yards; 5 catches, 33 yards; 1 KR, 38 yards |
| THAYER MUNFORD | OT | PATRIOTS | Played at OT | 1 start, 4 games played at OT |
| JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA | WR | SEAHAWKS | 4 catches, 27 yards | 17 catches, 199 yards, 2 TD |
