The NFL turned what should have been a career-defining honor into an unexpected controversy.
The league made an embarrassing engraving error on the Offensive Player of the Year trophy issued to Seattle Seahawks star Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Smith-Njigba, who was named the 2025 AP Offensive Player of the Year following a dominant season, revealed the issue in a video posted to his Instagram Story Monday night.
In the clip, the trophy he received appeared to incorrectly read “2025 Defensive Player of the Year,” along with additional engraving mistake, including a missing space in “The Year.”
NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy attempted to ease concerns, telling The Athletic the mistake was a basic spelling error that listed “Offensive” as “Oefensive” rather than a mislabeled award.
“It’s getting disrespectful, guys,” Smith-Njigba said in the video, with the tone of disbelief. The flub quickly spread among fans as the clip circulated online.
“The league made the mistake. We sincerely apologize to Jaxon for the error and are in the process of creating and shipping him a new trophy,” McCarthy told The Athletic. “Of course, we know how great an offensive player he is. We just had a problem spelling it.”
The mishap adds an unusual footnote to what was otherwise a historic season for Smith-Njigba.
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The 24-year-old receiver posted 119 receptions for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns during the regular season, leading the league in receiving yards. His receiving yardage was the eighth-highest single-season total in NFL history and accounted for 44.1% of Seattle’s receiving yards and 36.6% of the team’s receptions.
Still, the trophy error has overshadowed at least part of the celebration. For a player coming off a first-team All-Pro campaign and a landmark statistical season, the mistake has been viewed less as a harmless typo and more as an avoidable lapse in detail from the league office.
