Jaxon Smith-Njigba beats out Puka Nacua for Offensive Player of the Year
· Yahoo Sports
For the second time in three years, Puka Nacua came up just short of a coveted NFL award. On Thursday night, Seattle Seahawks star Jaxon Smith-Njigba beat out Nacua for AP Offensive Player of the Year.
Three years ago, Nacua finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, an award that went to Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.
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Both Nacua and Smith-Njigba had outstanding 2025 seasons. Smith-Njigba led the NFL with 1,793 yards, 78 more than Nacua had. However, Nacua led the league with 129 receptions and averaged an NFL-high 107.2 yards per game.
Both players caught exactly 10 touchdown passes and were within three targets of each other.
According to Rob Maadi, Nacua finished third in the voting, earning 170 points and eight first-place votes. Christian McCaffrey finished second with 223 points and 12 first-place votes.
AP Offensive Player of the Year:
— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) February 6, 2026
1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba 272 points, 14 first-place votes
2. Christian McCaffrey 223, 12
3. Puka Nacua 170, 8
4. Bijan Robinson 168, 6
5. Drake Maye 58, 5
Matthew Stafford (3), Josh Allen (1) and Trey McBride (1) also got first-place votes.
Including the playoffs, Nacua became just the second player in NFL history with 2,000 receiving yards in a season, joining Cooper Kupp in that select group. Smith-Njigba can become the third member of the club with 35 yards in Super Bowl LX.
Nacua and Smith-Njigba were considered the two best receivers in football this season, each earning first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: NFL Honors: Rams' Puka Nacua doesn't win Offensive Player of the Year