🔥 HOT NEWS: Maxx Crosby Sees What the League Finally Can’t Ignore About JSN ⚡.DH

For much of last offseason, the Seattle Seahawks’ decision to move on from DK Metcalf felt risky. Emotional, even. A franchise letting go of its most physically imposing receiver usually invites skepticism, not praise.

Now, with the Seahawks headed to the Super Bowl, that skepticism has flipped—and one of the league’s most respected defensive voices just said the quiet part out loud.

Maxx Crosby didn’t hedge.

“I feel that JSN is unreal,” the Raiders star said on The Rush Podcast. “He’s been going nuclear… and clearly they knew in that front office how good he was by letting DK go and Tyler Lockett go.”

That wasn’t analysis. That was confirmation.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba didn’t just step into a bigger role this season—he absorbed it. Fully. With authority. By the end of the regular season, there was no ambiguity about who Seattle’s offense revolved around.

119 receptions.
1,793 yards.
10 touchdowns.

Those numbers don’t happen by accident. They happen when opportunity meets trust—and when a player proves that the bet was worth making.

What makes Crosby’s words hit harder is who they’re coming from. This isn’t a receiver hyping another receiver. It’s a defensive nightmare acknowledging that Seattle didn’t downgrade when it reshaped its receiving room—it clarified it.

The Seahawks didn’t lose an identity. They revealed one.

Smith-Njigba’s postseason only sharpened that truth. In two playoff games, he’s caught 13 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns. Against the Rams in the NFC Championship, he delivered a statement performance: 10 receptions, 153 yards, and a touchdown in a game that demanded composure more than flash.

Afterward, his words matched his play.

“I’m going to do whatever it takes,” Smith-Njigba said. “Whatever you all ask for me, I’m going to get it done.”

That mindset has become Seattle’s personality.

And JSN isn’t alone in the spotlight. The Seahawks’ Super Bowl run has also redefined Sam Darnold’s career arc—another move many questioned at the time. Once labeled a bust, Darnold now looks like a quarterback who needed structure, patience, and belief.

Joe Montana sees it.

“He’s won 28 games with his last two teams,” Montana said. “He’s a good guy, good player, and I’m happy for him.”

That endorsement matters—for the same reason Crosby’s does. These aren’t analysts searching for takes. These are former and current players recognizing substance.

Seattle’s 2025 season wasn’t built on impulse. It was built on conviction. Letting Metcalf go. Trusting Smith-Njigba. Pairing him with a quarterback who could deliver rhythm and timing instead of just arm strength.

From the outside, it looked bold.

From inside NFL locker rooms, it looks inevitable.

Crosby’s blunt assessment strips away the drama. Seattle didn’t gamble—they evaluated. And now, with one game left, the Seahawks are staring at the payoff.

Smith-Njigba isn’t “emerging” anymore. He’s arrived. Fully formed. Fully trusted. Fully respected.

And when elite defenders start giving credit like that, it usually means one thing:

The league has caught up—too late.