5:37pm: While Pete Carroll is notoriously optimistic on injury timetables, the 14th-year Seahawks HC gave one that does not make it look like the No. 20 overall pick will recover in time for Week 1. Smith-Njigba will be sidelined for at least three or four weeks, Carroll said (via Fox 13 Seattle’s Curtis Crabtree).
12:44pm: Seattle may be notably shorthanded at the receiver spot at the start of the regular season. First-round rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba is undergoing wrist surgery today to treat a broken bone, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). 
The injury occurred during the Seahawks’ preseason game against the Cowboys on the weekend, and it could cost him regular season time. Schefter adds that the surgery will determine whether or not Smith-Njigba will be able to suit up for Week 1, which is less than three weeks away.
Seattle has D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett firmly in place as receiver starters, but it came as little surprise that the team sought out an addition to that tandem early in the draft. After using the 2023 first-rounder acquired in the Russell Wilson trade on cornerback Devon Witherspoon, the Seahawks used their other Day 1 selection on Smith-Njigba.
That began a run of four straight wideouts being taken, and gave the Seahawks a pass-catcher capable of making an impact on their offense in both the short- and long-term. The 21-year-old staked a case to be the No. 1 wideout in the 2023 class during his sophomore season at Ohio State. Competing for targets with eventual first-rounders Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, Smith-Njigba posted 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns on 95 receptions. That led to massive expectations for a follow-up in 2022, but a lingering hamstring injury limited him to just three games.
Seattle would be wise to proceed with caution if Smith-Njigba’s procedure leaves his Week 1 availability in doubt. Any extended absence would, however, leave a noticeable drop-off beyond Metcalf and Lockett at the receiver position. Dee Eskridge was suspended for the first six games of the campaign after a domestic violence arrest, which will place more responsibility on Smith-Njigba to at least serve as an effective third option when he starts his pro career. The time at which that will happen is now up in the air.
Cracks me up with all these short ‘reports’ indicating “the sky is falling” in regards to injuries or contract shenanigans.
Aug 30 there’ll be a bunch of serviceable players at a multitude of positions available to be purchased. Even with a 16 man practice squad most players would be enticed to sign to an ‘active’ roster opening with any team. Especially in a State without an income tax
Not sure where you’re getting the “sky is falling” from. It’s true that some reports the PFR staff have to pass along are rather mundane injuries we know will happen every year at this time. They are just trying to keep everyone informed. Naturally players want to sign a contract that gets them a roster spot but as you pointed out it’s a buyers market as the cutdown takes place. Even a minor injury can reduce someone’s chance of getting a payday when so many other players are competing for limited opportunities.
My position would be – ‘X’ is injured might need a few weeks to recuperate.
End of story
ya why do they even invest a 1st round pick on a WR when they can obviously just get a guy who was cut from a roster Aug. 30th?
/s
The Bears probably wished they had signed a roster cut casualty than waste a first round pick on Kevin White.
Kevin white broke his leg and had to get a major surgery. I don’t think that’s a fair comparison.
white was a 4.35 40 guy prior to having a steel rod placed in his leg.
I’m actually now trying to find a R1 WR that was a flat-out bust on the field, and didn’t fail due to off-field issues or injuries.
Carlos Rogers failed for a mix of reasons including injury, depression, and substance abuse
Justin Blackmon just got in tons of trouble off the field
USC/Lions Mike Williams is the biggest WR bust off the top of my head, but we’re still talking about a guy here who had to take an entire season off after college (Maurice Clarret situation), and then suit up for the worst team in history