Overview
- Smith‑Njigba revealed the problem in an Instagram Story on Tuesday when he showed a trophy plate that read “2025 Defensive Player Of TheYear” instead of Offensive Player of the Year and included other engraving errors.
- The NFL publicly acknowledged the mistake, apologized through spokesman Brian McCarthy, said the error stemmed from a spelling/font issue, and is making and shipping a corrected trophy.
- The Associated Press conducted the vote that named Smith‑Njigba OPOY, but the league is responsible for producing and delivering the physical trophies, which makes the NFL administratively accountable for the engraving error.
- Smith‑Njigba and members of his family called the gaffe “disrespectful,” citing earlier presentation problems at NFL Honors and the player’s recent four‑year, $168.6 million extension as reasons the mistake felt significant.
- Beyond the immediate fix, the incident has heightened scrutiny of the league’s quality controls for awards and could prompt closer review of how trophies and onstage presentations are handled going forward.