Super Bowl: Who Seahawks would turn to if Nick Emmanwori is too hurt

Some troubling news came out of the Seattle Seahawks’ practice on Wednesday as ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler reported versatile rookie safety Nick Emmanwori injured his ankle late in practice.

In her pool report, Kahler wrote Emmanwori was hurt late in the session while defending a pass and walked off the field without help. She added that “several players and coaches went over to comfort him before he left.”

Doctors weigh in on Nick Emmanwori’s ankle injury on social media

The South Carolina product was as limited on Wednesday’s practice report from the team.

Emmanwori’s injury occurred just four days before the Seahawks face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX. Former NFL quarterback Brock Huard couldn’t help but draw the parallels to the last time Seattle faced New England in Super Bowl. Just two days before their meeting in 2015, star safety Kam Chancellor tore the MCL in his left knee during practice, but he went on to play in the game.

“It just kind of gets your mind racing – and how can it not? – to a decade ago where you also saw your stud safety (injured),” Huard said Thursday morning during Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. “Now that was a knee and it was a pretty significant knee as it turned out, like an MCL with Kam. He played through it in the Super Bowl. He tried. He was not full speed.”

Head coach Mike Macdonald later Thursday told reporters Emmanwori is expected to play. But if he isn’t able to go or is at least limited in the Super Bowl, who could be in line at his usual nickel position? Huard delved into that question during his Blue 88 segment.

Next in line at nickel

Huard thinks moving cornerback Devon Witherspoon back inside to nickel would be the obvious and best choice.

Witherspoon was primarily used as the nickel defender during his first two seasons, logging a combined 952 snaps lined up as the inside cornerback, per Pro Football Focus. He also played his most snaps as the inside corner this season in Weeks 1 and 4 when Emmanwori was out with a high-ankle sprain.

Emmanwori’s presence would be missed if he is held out or limited on Sunday, but Huard believes this year’s team is better set up to withstand a missing piece of this magnitude than the team Chancellor was on.

“When Kam tweaked that knee midweek of that Super Bowl, it was very impactful because I don’t remember a ready squad. I don’t remember the level of depth and all the other pieces (that this year’s team has),” Huard said. “… I think that’s a different situation. A, they’ve already played multiple games earlier this year in this scenario. B, Spoon is super comfortable playing inside. (He’s) unbelievably fast and in some ways maybe even a better blitzer to get to (Patriots quarterback) Drake Maye than even Emmanwori is at this stage of his career.

“He would obviously go to nickel and then it would put (Josh) Jobe and (Riq) Woolen out there (as the outside cornerbacks) on an every-down basis, instead of splitting snaps and splitting reps based on personnel.”

Huard also said safety Ty Okada could be a part of the mix.

While Witherspoon has shown he can excel playing on the inside, co-host Mike Salk asked if he can make the same impact playing off the edge as Emmanwori, whose ability to defend the run there has allowed the Seahawks to rely heavily on their nickel package in all situations.

“Not necessarily,” Huard said. “Obviously not with the size. He does it with a whole bunch of quickness. It would be more of a challenge. Certainly the Patriots would say, ‘You’re gonna play nickel the whole time? That guy’s gonna stop the run the way that Emmanwori does when he plays big nickel? OK, let’s test that.'”

Listen to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app. 

Super Bowl: Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots

• Super Bowl Injury Report: Seattle Seahawks’ list is long, but Pats have a DNP
• Seahawks have troubling new injury concern with Nick Emmanwori
• Seattle Seahawks’ track record should worry Pats QB Drake Maye
• There’s only one way Pats can beat Seahawks in Super Bowl, insider says
• Wyman and Bob’s dark horse Super Bowl MVP candidates for Seahawks

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