2 fill-in options for Seahawks if Emmanwori misses time

After undergoing recent ankle surgery, Seattle Seahawks standout safety Nick Emmanwori’s status for Week 1 is unclear.

If Emmanwori isn’t back in time for Seattle’s Sept. 9 season opener against the New England Patriots, who could be in line to fill his snaps?

Given Emmanwori’s unicorn-like combination of size, speed, athleticism and versatility, there’s no direct replacement. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound hybrid defender is the ultimate chess piece, sporting the size to play linebacker against heavier offensive formations and the speed to play nickel corner against lighter sets.

Instead, it’d probably be more of a by-committee effort.

Sports Illustrated senior NFL reporter Albert Breer hinted as much in his Seahawks training camp takeaways earlier this week, writing that Emmanwori’s absence has allowed safety D’Anthony Bell and linebacker Tyrice Knight to emerge.

The 6-foot-1, 211-pound Bell played 96 defensive snaps for Seattle last season, including 33 snaps between Weeks 2-4 while helping fill in after Emmanwori’s Week 1 ankle injury. Bell recorded a half-sack, a tackle for loss and 15 tackles for the Seahawks last year, but missed out on their Super Bowl run after he was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers on Dec. 31.

Meanwhile, the 6-foot, 233-pound Knight was a 2024 fourth-round draft pick who started nine games as a rookie. However, after being sidelined for part of 2025 training camp with a knee injury and a heart issue, Knight lost his starting job early last season to breakout linebacker Drake Thomas.

But when his number was called again, Knight was ready. Starting in place of Ernest Jones IV in Week 10, Knight forced two nearly identical strip-sack fumbles when he shot through the Arizona Cardinals’ offensive line and knocked the ball free from quarterback Jacoby Brissett. On both instances, teammate DeMarcus Lawrence snatched the ball off a bounce and returned it for a touchdown.

Jones and Thomas remain the Seahawks’ starting linebacker duo heading into 2026. But if Emmanwori misses the start of the season, Seattle Sports’ Mike Salk said Thursday on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk that he likes the idea of Knight helping fill in.

“He’s a fast linebacker,” Salk said. “If he’s the next best player, find a way to get him on the field. And maybe he’s not going to get as deep into coverage (as Emmanwori). Maybe he’s not a perfect Nick Emmanwori comp. But if it’s an opportunity to get another good player on the field and do things a little differently, I love that creativity.”

Listen to the full Brock and Salk conversation at this link or in the audio player above. Tune into Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

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