During the Seattle Seahawks– Houston Texans game, a standout and unusual moment came when Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. intercepted a pass and delivered a stiff-arm that knocked Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s (JSN) helmet off. The play was flashy but reckless, drawing attention for its sheer physicality and rarity on the field. In his response, Smith-Njigba immediately shoved Stingley into the Houston bench area after that. It was the heat of the moment, and then suddenly he was surrounded by Texans players. 

But here’s where the story gets its amazing twist: Official Nathan Jones, a former NFL defensive back himself, instinctively knew what to do. It was genuinely remarkable the way he put his hands on either side of JSN to shield and protect him completely from the ensuing crowd of Texans players. Seeing officials themselves jump in, in the midst of an altercation, is not rare to see in the NFL, but it was the right call to take at the exact moment. As per Gregg Bells, who is the Seahawks beat reporter, X post, when asked about the situation during the post-game press conference, JSN told them;

“We had a nice little conversation, and I took a deep breath, trying to enjoy this moment as much as I could before running back to my sideline.”

The Seahawks had a great game, beating the Houston Texans 27-19. Even though there was a small fight during the game, it was a solid win for the whole team. JSN is having an amazing start to his career! He was the main reason the Seahawks were able to finish the game with the win.

He made 8 catches for 123 yards, including an important touchdown late in the fourth quarter. That touchdown was massive, even though it also came with a penalty. It just shows how valuable he is becoming to the offense, as it was already his fourth touchdown catch this season.

How did the Smith-Njigba shove incident transpire? 

JSN was having a fantastic game, but things got pretty intense in the second half when a Texans player, Derek Stingley Jr., caught a pass that was meant for Seahawks tight end AJ Barner. JSN immediately took off running after Stingley. Near the sidelines, as JSN was trying to tackle him, Stingley knocked JSN’s helmet completely off. The referees immediately threw a flag, penalizing Stingley for being too rough.

But the action wasn’t over. While JSN was standing on the Texans’ side of the field without his helmet, another Houston player shoved him hard. This sent the unprotected receiver stumbling backward right onto the opponent’s bench. He was surrounded by opposing players, but he didn’t panic. Speaking to the press during the post-game conference, he said;

“It’s Monday night, I’m not really worried about anything when it comes to my face and all that.”

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Stingley got penalized for the roughness, but JSN proved two things that night: he never gives up on a play, and he’s one of the toughest and best receivers in the league.