SEATTLE — Seattle Seahawks rookie wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba will undergo surgery for a wrist fracture and miss approximately three to four weeks, coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday.
Smith-Njigba was injured in the second quarter of Seattle’s preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, when he was tackled at the 1-yard line after hauling in a 48-yard reception from quarterback Drew Lock.
Carroll is “staying optimistic” Smith-Njigba will be able to play in the Seahawks’ Sept. 10 season opener against the Los Angeles Rams, but he made no guarantees.
Smith-Njigba flew to Philadelphia on Tuesday and will have the procedure soon.
“He’s going to get surgery, and he’s with a hand specialist,” Carroll said. “Kind of a slight fracture that we just want to make sure we do that right thing to ensure that he gets back as soon as possible and as safe as possible. We’re going to be optimistic about it. Three, four weeks, we’ll see what happens.”
Smith-Njigba, who was a star receiver at Ohio State, was set to begin the season as the Seahawks’ No. 3 wide receiver behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett and has performed well in training camp since getting picked 20th overall by the Seahawks.
Smith-Njigba is just the latest Seahawks rookie to miss time with an injury. First-round pick Devon Witherspoon has spent the preseason dealing with a hamstring issue, and fellow 2023 draft picks Zach Charbonnet (shoulder), Kenny McIntosh (knee), Mike Morris (shoulder) and Olu Oluwatimi (elbow) have dealt with injuries in training camp.
