Mike Macdonald Provides Sigh of Relief on Status of Seahawks' Nick Emmanwori

When Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald stepped up to the podium for his Thursday press conference, he knew what the main topic of curiosity would be after star rookie defender Nick Emmanwori reportedly left Wednesday's practice with an ankle injury.

“There’s no way the first question is about Nick is it?” Macdonald joked.

Emmanwori has been key to the Seahawks' defensive excellence, and he's been even better in the postseason. Losing him for the Super Bowl would be a huge blow to the NFL's No. 1 scoring defense. Luckily, Macdonald brought good news with him on Thursday.

“He gave us a … just rolled his ankle yesterday, and he’s got a low ankle sprain," Macdonald said. "[He’s] going to do the walkthrough today and not sure how extensive, if at all, he’s going to practice. But he’s confident, we’ve got a great plan, fully expect him to play.”

Dec 28, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (3) looks over the Panthers offense during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Macdonald said they will be cautious with the young star over the next few days to make sure he's ready for Sunday.

“He’s doing great and moving around. We’ve just got to make sure we … handle it the right way and are probably going to be over-careful and over-cautious to make sure we’re rolling going into the weekend.”

In two postseason games, Emmanwori has totaled eight tackles, one fumble recovery and four pass deflections. He played 84% of the team's defensive snaps in the regular season once he emerged as a player Macdonald couldn't take off the field.

Emmanwori missed three games early on, but he totaled 81 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 11 pass deflections and one interception in the regular season. He's one of the top candidates for Defensive Rookie of the Year heading into the final Sunday of the season.

Originally drafted in the second round as a safety out of South Carolina, Emmanwori has evolved into essentially a big nickel role in the Seahawks' defense, where he plays some slot corner and linebacker. That has fit his skill set perfectly, and he's become a massive piece of the defense.

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