Druski Reaches Out to Jaxon Smith-Njigba After Butchering Name at NFL Honors

The comedian says he tried to contact the Seahawks wide receiver but never heard back.

Feb. 25, 2026 at 7:39am by Ben Kaplan

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Druski, a comedian, addressed his viral moment from the NFL Honors award show in San Francisco, where he mispronounced the name of Offensive Player of the Year award winner Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Druski revealed that he reached out to the NFL star after the incident, but never received a response.

Why it matters

Druski's mispronunciation of Smith-Njigba's name sparked fierce backlash online, with the Seahawks PR team and teammate Uchenna Nwosu calling out the comedian for not showing proper respect. This highlights the importance of pronouncing names correctly, especially for public figures, and the potential consequences of failing to do so.

The details

During an appearance on CBS Mornings, Druski said he attempted to contact Smith-Njigba after the incident, but never heard back from the Seahawks wide receiver. Druski acknowledged that Smith-Njigba's name is difficult to pronounce, but said he "went too far" with his attempt at the NFL Honors show.

  • Druski mispronounced Jaxon Smith-Njigba's name at the NFL Honors show in San Francisco.

The players

Druski

A 31-year-old comedian who mispronounced Jaxon Smith-Njigba's name at the NFL Honors show.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

The Offensive Player of the Year award winner at the NFL Honors show, who plays wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks.

Uchenna Nwosu

A teammate of Jaxon Smith-Njigba on the Seattle Seahawks, who called Druski "lame" after the incident.

Barry Sanders

A Hall of Fame NFL player who presented an award at the NFL Honors show, and was paired with Druski, according to the Seahawks PR team.

Mike Vrabel

The head coach of the New England Patriots, whose name was also mispronounced by comedian Tiffany Haddish at the NFL Honors show.

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What they’re saying

“I like to mess around. Sometimes you can go too far.”

— Druski, Comedian

“Congratulations to him, the team on the Super Bowl. I think that was an amazing thing. I didn't get no response back, but I did reach out, I tried.”

— Druski, Comedian

“Hall of Famer Barry Sanders drew the short straw getting stuck with Druski's big whiff tonight.”

— Seahawks PR team

“Put some respect on. Put some respect on @Seahawks WR @jaxson_smith1's name.”

— Seahawks PR team

“lame”

— Uchenna Nwosu, Seahawks Teammate of Jaxon Smith-Njigba

What’s next

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has yet to publicly address Druski's mispronunciation of his name.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the importance of pronouncing names correctly, especially for public figures, and the potential consequences of failing to do so. It also shows the value of taking responsibility and attempting to make amends, even if the initial response is not positive.