The Seattle Seahawks' star rookie defender suffered an injury in practice, but the team isn't too worried ahead of Super Bow LIX.
Wednesday marked the first required official injury report released by the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots ahead of Super Bowl LX, and it came with a bit of a surprise to one of the Seahawks’ best defenders, while providing encouraging news on Patriots’ quarterback Drake May eon their end. According to ESPN, Seattle rookie defensive back Nick Emmanwori suffered an ankle injury during Wednesday’s practice, making his status for Sunday not entirely clear. However, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said on Thursday that he “fully expects” Emmanwori to be good to go for Super Bowl LX.
Macdonald wasn’t sure how much he would practice, if at all, on Thursday, but said that he’s “doing great” and is “moving around.” They’re just making sure to be cautious and go about it the right way. Thankfully, Macdonald also clarified that it was a low ankle sprain, which is a lot easier to recover from than a high one in a short period. The 21-year-old rookie has shined into the postseason as much as the regular season, recording 81 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 11 pass deflections, and one interception on a ferocious Seattle defense.
Here is the full story from Seahawks Roundtable writer Jonah Morgan on the injury news and how much the safety matters to the team’s defense.
Emmanwori injured the same ankle in his Week 1 NFL debut on the opening series and was out for the next three games. He’s been an impact player ever since his return. He’s a finalist for AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, and Seahawks fans hope to see him continuing to showcase those skills on Sunday’s stage.