Seahawks Lock Up Smith-Njigba, Raising Bar for Saints' Olave

0:00It's March 23rd, I'm Cory with the story, and this is NFL News today, your AI-powered football briefing. The Seattle Seahawks kicked off the NFL week with a massive contract extension for wide receiver Jackson Smith and Jigba. They agreed to a four-year deal worth $168.6 million, averaging $42.15 million per year. That makes him the highest-paid wide receiver in the league right now, with over $120 million guaranteed. This comes as Smith and Jigba is still on his rookie deal through the 2026 season, with his fifth-year option picked up for 20, 27. The extension locks him in long-term, despite those overlapping years, showing how much the team values his play. The news has ripple effects for his former college teammate, Chris Olave of the New Orleans Saints. Olave is heading into his fifth-year option in 2026, and has been pushing for his own extension. Fans and analysts see this as raising the market bar, making Olave's talks even more expensive.

1:03Saints officials view Olave as a key piece for their offense, especially to build around second-year quarterback Tyler Show. While projections had him around $111 million before, now comparisons to deals like Garrett Wilson's 32.5 million dollars per year set a tougher standard, with guarantees being the real focus. As both teams crunch the numbers on structure and injury protections, expect Olave's deal to push toward that elite level soon, reshaping how the Saints plan their future.