Jaxon Smith-Njigba Gets Corrected Offensive Player of the Year Award in Odd NFL Twist

Jaxon Smith-Njigba won the NFL‘s Offensive Player of the Year award – and then received a trophy that spelled it “Oefensive Player of the Year.”

The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver confirmed Tuesday that the league has since shipped him a corrected version, closing out one of the stranger award-season footnotes in recent memory.

What Happened With the Award

The original trophy sent to Smith-Njigba contained an engraving error – “Oefensive” instead of “Offensive” – a production mistake that had nothing to do with the voting process.

NBC Sports reported the correction after Smith-Njigba addressed it publicly, noting the NFL – not the Associated Press, which handles the voting – was responsible for producing the physical hardware and issuing the fix.

Speaking via a video from the team, Smith-Njigba made clear the corrected trophy went through a full review: “We checked it. Everybody cleared it. I had the whole team read it, make sure it was right, and it’s good, solid.”

Smith-Njigba’s Season & Why the Recognition Matters

The award itself reflects a genuine breakthrough season for Smith-Njigba, the former Ohio State receiver the Seahawks selected in the first round of the 2023 draft. His 2025 campaign was dominant enough to make him only the second Seattle player to win the Offensive Player of the Year honor, joining running back Shaun Alexander from 2005.

The Reaction & Broader Mix-Up

The trophy error was not the only issue at NFL Honors. Comedian Druski mispronounced Smith-Njigba’s name on stage during the ceremony, and Smith-Njigba initially described both incidents as “disrespectful.” By Tuesday, though, his tone had shifted.

“The Super Bowl, it’s a lot, a lot of things are thrown at you, and I tried my best to stay focused on the game,” Smith-Njigba said, “but now I have no negative feelings towards the NFL, Roger Goodell, or Druski. So, I’ll just take my trophy and accolades and all that stuff and chill at home.”

The NFL corrected a straightforward production mistake, and Smith-Njigba has moved on without holding a public grudge.