NFL trophy error mislabels Smith-Njigba as Defensive POY

The NFL delivered an incorrectly engraved Offensive Player of the Year trophy to Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba on May 19, 2026, misidentifying him as the “2025 Defensive Player of theyear.” The mistake combined the wrong award title with a typographical spacing error. Smith-Njigba, who was honored for his 2025 season, drew attention to the issue after the package arrived.

The league produces the physical NFL Honors trophies, while voting for the awards is conducted by a separate panel. The engraving error follows a presentation slip at the NFL Honors ceremony earlier in the year, when a comedian mispronounced Smith-Njigba’s surname; he later apologized. Neither incident affects the outcome of the award, but both underlined avoidable lapses around a marquee honor.

Smith-Njigba earned Offensive Player of the Year after a breakout 2025 campaign in which he led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards and caught 10 touchdowns on 119 receptions. Including the postseason, he finished with 1,989 receiving yards across 20 games, the third-highest single-season total in league history. His production drove Seattle’s offense throughout a year in which the Seahawks secured the NFC’s top seed.

Seattle then went 3-0 in the postseason to win Super Bowl LX. Smith-Njigba became the fifth player to lead the league in receiving yards and win the Super Bowl in the same season, joining Drew Pearson, Jerry Rice (twice) and Cooper Kupp. The combination of volume, efficiency and clutch production defined his award résumé.

Engraving process and replacement

Incorrect title and spacing on plaque

The inscription on Smith-Njigba’s plaque read “2025 Defensive Player of theyear,” capturing both a category error and a missing space in “the year.” Such trophies typically follow standardized templates, making dual mistakes of this kind uncommon. The error came to light when Smith-Njigba shared the engraving publicly.

Engraving mistakes on major awards are rare, and the league is expected to replace the faulty plaque with a corrected version. The error does not alter voting results or historical records attached to the award, and a corrected inscription would restore the physical trophy to match the honor he earned.

Season résumé and contract context

Historic production and team commitment

Beyond the trophy issue, Smith-Njigba’s 2025 output and postseason run established him among the league’s elite. His 1,989 total receiving yards over 20 games rank third all-time for a single season, underscoring both durability and week-to-week dominance. That body of work culminated in a Super Bowl title and the league’s top individual offensive honor.

Following the season, Seattle signed Smith-Njigba to a four-year, $168.6 million contract extension that made him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history. The deal signals the franchise’s long-term commitment to building around its WR1 after a season in which coverages routinely shifted to account for his presence.

A corrected trophy is anticipated in due course. The episode does not affect Smith-Njigba’s award status, contract, or the Seahawks’ championship ledger, but it has renewed scrutiny of quality control around one of the NFL’s showcase honors.