Seahawks first-round wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba recently underwent surgery to repair a broken bone in his wrist. Initially, coach Pete Carroll said the 20th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft would likely be sidelined 3-4 weeks as he recovers. The team, however, has no plans to place him on the IR/designated list as it's expected to keep the rookie on the active roster when the season begins, according to NFL Media. It's unknown if he'll be available to play Week 1, but it's a positive sign he'll be returning sooner than later.
Carroll called it "elaborate surgery" for such a small crack in Smith-Njigba's wrist.
"I haven't heard any word since the surgery other than what they initially said, that everything went great," Carroll said on the team website. "They showed us the pictures and all that kind of stuff, so we saw that. It's an elaborate surgery for such a small crack, but it's going to be so safe, so we're really pleased with it, and so is he."
Earlier in the week, Carroll said that it's "kind of a slight fracture that we just want to make sure that we do the right thing to ensure he gets back as soon as possible and as safe as possible. So, we're going to be optimistic about it. Three or four weeks, and we'll see what happens."
Smith-Njigba suffered the injury during Saturday's preseason win over the Dallas Cowboys. Specifically, he is said to have injured himself on his 48-yard reception midway through the second quarter where he was brought down at the Dallas 1-yard line. By looking at the highlight, Smith-Njigba didn't appear to be in any noticeable pain immediately following the reception.
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Smith-Njigba was the first wide receiver taken in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft as Seattle took the Ohio State product with the No. 20 overall selection. In 22 games throughout his collegiate career with the Buckeyes, he hauled in 109 passes for 1,691 yards and 10 touchdowns. That said, Smith-Njigba was limited to three games last year with a hamstring injury.
Throughout the summer, the 21-year-old has impressed and that play has carried over into the preseason where he caught six of his seven targets for 83 yards.
Seattle opens up its regular season at home against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 10. That gives Smith-Njigba roughly 19 days to recuperate to potentially be ready for Week 1. If he is unable to be ready for that NFC West head-to-head, that will mean a bigger target share for veteran wideouts DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
