Before the start of the season, Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori, along with expert opinions from doctors, had a decision to make -- get surgery on a nagging injury or play through a "weird thing" where he'd feel 100 percent some days and on others, 75 percent. The second-year defensive weapon opted for the surgery that kept him from participating in training camp this summer rather than take the risk of something happening later down the line.
"Everything was kind of feeling good in OTAs," Emmanwori said Wednesday. "But it was different doctor opinions and stuff, trying to figure what was the best thing to do. Ultimately, the thought process was go ahead and get it done with; over with. I didn't want to be in Week 8, Week 9 or something and it's still bugging me and I can't be out there in the middle of the season. That would definitely make things weird for the team and everybody."
The ankle injury, which was initially suffered in practice during Super Bowl week, lingered after Emmanwori played through it to help bring Seattle its second Lombardi Trophy.
"Dealing with that through the Super Bowl, my mindset was it wouldn't have felt complete for me to work my way all the way up through the season, all the playoff games, just not to play in the Super Bowl," he said. "Last game of the season. It was a no-brainer for me to go out there. It was worth it. Everything that came with it, Super Bowl champions, great season. Ended it off right. I knew I wouldn't have slept great if I didn't play in that game. It would've been eating at me. I had to do it; that's the type of dude I am. It was worth it, it was great."
Now heading into Week 4, Emmanwori has appeared in two games, though in a limited capacity, as he aims to ramp up toward a full workload. In his first game back in Week 2, he recorded one tackle while playing just nine snaps. Emmanwori recorded two tackles in 34 snaps last Sunday.
"It's been feeling good," he said. "Everything's going along kind of as we expected, kind of weird offseason. So having the challenge to ramp up at different times and trying to figure out a good plan, which we've been following, and it's been pretty good getting me up to speed."
Last year as a rookie, Emmanwori was on the field for a bulk of Seattle's defensive snaps, essentially becoming an every-down player, operating in a versatile role on one of the NFL's best defenses.
So, his limited use so far has been an adjustment.
"I trust the coaches, trust the medical staff and stuff, but as a competitor, I want to go out there and play, win games and be on the field," he said. "So, it's kind of something new I'm experiencing."
As a rare and unique defensive talent, Emmanwori is taking all the spotlight that comes with that, which included being heavily featured in the HBO series, Hard Knocks during training camp this past summer.
"Across the NFL world, my name is known a little bit," he said. "They know me as a good defensive player, but I'm trying to become one of the best defensive players in the league and stamp myself as that."
Emmanwori was a finalist for the AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and wanted to take on whatever the coaches were throwing at him, which meant playing multiple positions and spending time with different position coaches. His goal for Year 2 is to become a more polished version of who he was in his rookie season.
"I think stepping up in a bigger role just wherever the coaches find fit," Emmanwori said. "And whenever I get back and we fully ramp up, I think the defense is going to be real. It's going to be real deal. It's going to be even better last year."
The Seahawks began their week of practice on Wednesday, September 30 as they get ready to host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4.
Seahawks linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence (0) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks defensive tackle Rylie Mills (98) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks nose tackle Jarran Reed (90) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks defensive tackle Gary Smith III (77) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks nose tackle Deven Eastern (97) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. (56) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence (0) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. (56) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Patrick O'Connell (52) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety AJ Finley (30) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks cornerback Andre Fuller (35) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks cornerback Trevon Diggs (16) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks cornerback Trevon Diggs (16) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks defensive end Mike Morris (94) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo (18) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Connor O'Toole (57) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks defensive end Mike Morris (94) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Jimmy Ciarlo (46) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Jimmy Ciarlo (46) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and tight end AJ Barner (88) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tackle Bobby Hart (68) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Jadarian Price (8) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Ricky White III (86) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. (84) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Emanuel Wilson (23) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks running back Jadarian Price (8) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety AJ Finley (30) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks safety Maxen Hook (43) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (58) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (7) practiced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
