Seahawks Safety Nick Emmanwori Expected to Play in Super Bowl LX Despite Ankle Injury
– Seattle Seahawks rookie safety Nick Emmanwori is on track to play in Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots despite suffering a low ankle sprain during Wednesday’s practice in San Jose, California, according to Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald.
Macdonald addressed the media on Thursday, stating that Emmanwori rolled his ankle during practice but is expected to participate in Thursday’s walkthrough. “He rolled his ankle yesterday, and he’s got a low ankle sprain,” Macdonald said. “He’s going to do the walkthrough today, not sure how extensive, if at all, he’s going to practice. But he’s confident, we’ve got a great plan, fully expect him to play… He’s doing great and moving around. We’ve just got to make sure we handle it the right way. We’re probably going to be overly careful and over cautious at this point to make sure we’re rolling going into the weekend.”
Emmanwori himself echoed Macdonald’s optimism, telling reporters he anticipates being ready for Sunday’s game. “It was just towards the end of practice, I just rolled my ankle,” Emmanwori said. “It kind of caught me off guard, the practice wasn’t anything crazy, we weren’t going hard out there, but I just rolled it. I’ll be good to go for Sunday, so I’m looking forward to that.”
The injury occurred late in Wednesday’s padded practice, according to a pool report. While the severity wasn’t immediately clear, Macdonald indicated the team would be cautious in managing the injury leading up to the Super Bowl.
Emmanwori, a second-round pick from South Carolina, has quickly become a key component of the Seahawks’ defense, which has allowed the fewest yards per carry in the NFL this season (3.7). His versatility has allowed Seattle to utilize nickel defense at a high rate.
NFL injury expert Dr. Jesse Morse noted on social media that Emmanwori’s injury did not appear to be a re-aggravation of a previous high-ankle sprain suffered earlier in the season. However, Morse cautioned that the new injury is still concerning and could limit Emmanwori’s playing time if he does take the field.
In addition to Emmanwori’s injury, quarterback Sam Darnold was limited in practice on due to an oblique injury originally sustained in a previous practice. Macdonald stated that Darnold is “right on schedule” with his recovery plan and had a “great day” on Thursday.
The Seahawks held a practice session on in San Jose, California, as they continue preparations for their Super Bowl LX matchup against the Patriots.
