As a rookie last season, Nick Emmanwori proved essential to the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in capturing the second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history. The all-around safety was so good as a rookie that he came in second place in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, and that was while appearing in only 14 games.
While Emmanwori should be good to go soon to continue building momentum in his sophomore NFL campaign, he's probably going to have to miss Wednesday's bizarre opener against the New England Patriots before that happens.
The young defensive back is officially listed as questionable on the Seahawks' final injury report before their second-ever banner night. So, he could ostensibly play. But when you realize the full context
— Emmanwori hasn't practiced with the Seahawks since mid-June, and he had ankle surgery in mid-July — the most likely outcome is that Emmanwori sits out the opening of the champs' title defense.
Essentially, you don't throw in players cold with no chance to ramp up back to full strength:
Nick Emmanwori is officially questionable for the opener tomorrow. But...
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) September 8, 2026
He still hasn't practiced fully since #Seahawks minicamp in mid-June, and since his arthroscopic ankle surgery in July.
Ty Okada out.
Tory Horton questionable pic.twitter.com/6Jc8N3UZpX
Emmanwori was critical to a lot of the Seahawks' success last year, especially as they shut down the Patriots in Super Bowl 60. As a result, his potential absence on Wednesday could be glaring. But the Seahawks are trying to play the long game here. Pushing one of their best young players to play in a non-conference game when he probably isn't ready, as a team that is thinking about the next six months and a repeat pursuit, doesn't make much logical sense.
We'll see if Emmanwori indeed suits up on Wednesday night. But I wouldn't hold my breath.
Who is Nick Emmanwori's backup on the Seahawks?
If Emmanwori doesn't play on Wednesday night, he doesn't have an official backup listed on the Seahawks' depth chart. Expect someone like Julian Neal to potentially receive more snaps, though.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why is Nick Emmanwori (probably) not playing in Wednesday NFL opener?
