What Seahawks coach said about Emmanwori’s status

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said Nick Emmanwori’s recent ankle surgery shouldn’t sideline him long-term, but he stopped short of divulging whether the standout safety would be ready for Week 1.

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“He’s doing a great job,” Macdonald said after the Seahawks’ first training camp practice on Saturday. “We don’t have necessarily a timetable. It’s not like we lost him for the season or anything.

“You know me – I don’t want to put a time on it. But it’s not a serious thing where you’re looking at any long-term consideration.”

Emmanwori, who dealt with a pair of right ankle injuries last season, underwent arthroscopic surgery on that same ankle earlier this month, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson. The Seahawks placed Emmanwori on the physically unable to perform list on Monday.

Macdonald played coy when asked whether he expects Emmanwori to return in time for Seattle’s Sept. 9 season opener against the New England Patriots.

“I don’t know,” Macdonald said with a smile. “Could he play in the opener? Sure, he could play in the opener.”

Emmanwori, the 2025 Defensive Rookie of the Year runner-up, suffered a high-ankle sprain early in last year’s season opener, which sidelined him for the remainder of the game and the next three games. He also suffered a low-ankle sprain in a practice leading up to the Super Bowl, but still played 70 of 71 defensive snaps while helping Seattle beat New England for the Lombardi Trophy.

Emmanwori participated in OTA and minicamp practices this spring, but reportedly opted for the procedure after continuing to experience ankle soreness as he ramped up for training camp.

“It was something that he’s been dealing with since the Super Bowl,” Macdonald said. “He was able to perform, was able to do some things in the offseason program. But it just got to the point where it was the best for him, for the long term, just to go ahead and get it fixed. And so that’s what we all decided to do.”

As a rookie last season, Emmanwori quickly established himself as one of the most important players on the Seahawks’ top-ranked scoring defense.

Emmanwori was a big-time playmaker, filling the stat sheet with an interception, 11 pass breakups, 2.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss and a blocked field goal in 14 regular-season games. He then added four more pass breakups in the postseason.

But even more importantly, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Emmanwori’s rare combination of size, speed and athleticism gave Macdonald a Swiss Army knife chess piece to move around the field. With that unique versatility, Emmanwori could play linebacker against heavier offensive formations and nickel corner against lighter sets, which allowed Seattle’s defense to dictate the terms against its opponents.

Players on the PUP list are eligible to return to practice at any point during training camp. If they remain on the PUP list after the Aug. 30 roster cutdown deadline, they have to miss at least four games before returning.

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