Nick Emmanwori Exits Practice, Seahawks Seeking ‘Next Steps’ as Super Bowl LX Approaches
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Just four days before taking the field for Super Bowl LX, the Seattle Seahawks could potentially be down one of their top playmakers on defense against the New England Patriots.
Hours after speaking with reporters during Wednesday’s media scrum, per PFWA pool reporter Kalyn Kahler, Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori left midway through practice after injuring his ankle while attempting to defend a pass. The report indicates coaches and teammates came over to console the rookie defender as he walked off the field on his own and he did not return, receiving a limited designation on the practice report.
“He had an ankle today, we brought him in to look at it,” Macdonald told Kahler. “And we’ll kind of go from here and figure out what are the next steps?”
According to multiple sources who spoke with Emerald City Spectrum, Emmanwori underwent imaging on his ankle on Wednesday evening after receiving treatment at Seattle’s practice facility to gauge the severity of the injury. The team should have a better idea of where things stand by Thursday morning before Macdonald meets with media for the final time before Sunday’s game.
While Emmanwori didn’t suffer the same exact injury, this unexpected news unfortunately throws salt into the wound for fans looking back at the last time Seattle and New England played in the Super Bowl 11 years ago. Two days before the game in Glendale, safety Kam Chancellor suffered an MCL tear in his knee, and though he wound up playing in the contest and finished with 10 tackles, he wasn’t as effective in coverage playing through a significant injury.
It’s far too early to know whether or not this setback will prevent Emmanwori from suiting up on Sunday, but it’s certainly not desirable news for the Seahawks, who transformed from a great defense into an elite one with the do-it-all rookie wearing many hats in Macdonald’s defense. Aside from playing slot cornerback and both safety positions, the 6-3, 220-pound defender has also logged significant snaps as an off-ball linebacker and even rushed off the edge as a defensive end during the course of the season, finishing with 81 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 10 pass breakups, the most among safeties in the NFL.
If Emmanwori isn’t able to play, the Seahawks managed to go 3-0 in games without him earlier in the season when he missed time with a high ankle sprain, so they have found ways to overcome his absence in the past.
However, Emmanwori’s unique skill set could lend himself to be the perfect weapon in this matchup for defending dual-threat quarterback Drake Maye as well as pass catching tight end Hunter Henry, two of the Patriots best players on the No. 2 ranked scoring offense in the NFL. Using him as a spy on occasion against Maye would give Seattle a dynamic athlete to chase him down sideline to sideline when he scrambles, while his size and length has already been a major asset covering top tight ends over the course of his rookie season into the playoffs.
Without him, Ty Okada would step back into the lineup as Seattle’s third safety alongside Julian Love and Coby Bryant. From a tackling perspective, the third-year defender has been money all season while filling in for Love and Bryant with 11 combined starts this season, and he has also pitched in 1.5 sacks and an interception with the ability to play both safety spots and occasionally slide up into the box for run support and blitzing.
With that said, Okada doesn’t have Emmanwori’s 4.32 40-yard dash speed and at 5-11, 193 pounds, he lacks the height and stature to match up well against tight ends in comparison to his teammate. In his defense, there might not be another player in the league who can perfectly replace everything the rookie does, but subbing him into the lineup would place some limitations on what Macdonald can do schematically and take away some of the ability for Seattle to dictate what the offense can do through flexible personnel groupings.
In the event Emmanwori can play, the question will shift from his availability to how the injury may impact his play. With a game predicated on speed and physicality, if he needs to have his ankle taped and/or receive a shot while nursing an ankle sprain, his overall mobility could be diminished, particularly from a lateral agility standpoint. The Patriots would certainly try to test out his movement skills early in the game if he does try to give it a go and it would be worth wondering how many of his typical roles he would be able to fulfill at well below 100%.
All of these factors will be determined in part by Emmanwori’s test results from Wednesday night and if he managed to avoid significant injury. Even if he did dodge a bullet, however, Macdonald and the medical staff have tended to play things safe in similar situations, including having tackle Charles Cross sit out multiple practices before playing in the NFC Championship Game against the Rams two weeks ago. Such an approach could be employed with the rookie as well, giving him the best chance to potentially still play with a Lombardi Trophy on the line.
If the news isn’t positive, the Seahawks will have to fully shift gears towards preparing Okada to play, and veteran Quandre Diggs would be a strong candidate to elevate from the practice squad as a proven insurance policy. Until Thursday morning, teammates, coaches, and fans alike will be holding their collective breaths hoping the rookie will be able to play and that this doesn’t turn into another Chancellor-like situation before a Super Bowl against the same opponent.
