Druski apologizes for butchering Jaxon Smith-Njigba's name at NFL Honors

Pronunciation guides are your friend.

That is the lesson for Druski, who went viral for his butchering of Jaxon Smith-Njigba's name. The comedian was one of the presenters at NFL Honors in 2026, announcing the award for NFL Offensive Player of the Year. That trophy was the first of two for the Seattle Seahawks' star receiver that weekend, with the other being the Lombardi after Super Bowl 60.

Yet Smith-Njigba's individual victory was overshadowed by Druski's moment, which he has since apologized for.

"I like to mess around and sometimes you can go too far," Druski said on Feb. 19 during an appearance on "CBS Mornings," adding that it's not the easiest name to pronounce. "I reached out and congratulations to him, the team on the Super Bowl. I thought that was an amazing thing. Yeah I didn't get no response back, but I did reach out, I tried."

The comedian redirected, pointing out that not all comedy will land with the audience.

"When we talk about walking the line of comedy, sometimes you do have to take that chance," he said. "I think it's not all gonna be a successful hit. Nothing you do in anything when you try to pursue greatness is gonna be success, success, success."

Smith-Njigba wasn't in attendance at NFL Honors, since he was preparing to play in Super Bowl 60. While Barry Sanders seemed unamused on stage next to Druski as the moment unfolded, the Seahawks took to social media to share their reaction.

Hall of Famer Barry Sanders drew the short straw getting stuck with @druski’s big whiff tonight. Put some respect on @Seahawks WR @jaxon_smith1’s name. https://t.co/tCe2afCcv9

— Seahawks PR (@seahawksPR) February 6, 2026

Druski lame

— Uchenna Nwosu (@UchennaN_42) February 6, 2026

Even if Druski doesn't know the name, NFL fans certainly do after the 2025 season.

Smith-Njigba took his game to another level this season, recording a league-high 1,793 receiving yards to go along with 119 catches and 10 touchdowns. He was also named a first-team All-Pro and earned a Pro Bowl selection.

The star receiver might not consider himself a comedian, but he certainly got the last laugh in this situation.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Druski apologized to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, hasn't heard back