All 32 NFL teams across the league have started their respective training camps this month, including the Super Bowl reigning champion Seattle Seahawks. Although the Seattle defense was expected to be led by former South Carolina Gamecocks and second-year safety Nick Emmanwori, he ended up on Seattle's PUP list last week. Initially, there was no specifics released regarding the nature of Emmanwori's injury.Â
But over the weekend, Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald explained that Emmanwori's presence on the list stemmed from an injury he dealt with last season, to his ankle. More specifically, Emmanwori underwent ankle surgery this offseason.Â
"So, with Nick's situation, it's the ankle from the Super Bowl,"Â Macdonald said via the Seahawks. "I think the best way to describe it is something that he's been dealing with since the Super Bowl, he was able to perform, like able to train, do some things in the offseason program, but 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. It's really the best thing for him, for now and the foreseeable future, for the rest of his career."
The Seahawks' third-year head coach added that the team does not have a timetable for Emmanwori's return, but that it is not looking like a season-ending issue. He dealt with an ankle injury throughout the season as a rookie in 2025. He missed Seattle's first three games of the regular season with an ankle injury, but made 11 starts in the regular and postseason.Â
Even leading up to the Super Bowl in February against the New England Patriots, he was on Seattle's injury list with an ankle injury. He was removed a couple days prior to the game, and started and played with no issues.Â
As the Seahawks progress through training camp and the preseason, Seattle is scheduled to start preseason games on Aug. 15 against the Dallas Cowboys. Seattle's Week 1 game will be highly anticipated, as it's a Super Bowl rematch against the Patriots, set for Wednesday, Sept. 9.Â
Hopefully the former Gamecock can return to the Seahawks soon, as he became an integral part of the Seahawks' defense last season.Â
As a rookie last season in Seattle, he had 94 total tackles with 2.5 sacks and nine quarterback hits. Seattle drafted Emmanwori in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting him 35th overall. Across his three seasons at South Carolina, he finished with 244 total tackles with 11 passes defended and six interceptions
Emmanwori has been impressing those outside of Seattle's building, as well. A recent poll with NFL coaches, execs and scouts had him ranked as the No. 6 overall best safety across all 32 teams. He played in 15 games for Seattle last season with 11 starts, helping the Seahawks defense bring a Super Bowl to the franchise for the first time since 2014.Â
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