SAN JOSE, Calif. – The injury outlook is surprisingly bright for a key member of The Dark Side.
Nick Emmanwori – one of the most important pieces on the Seahawks defense (nicknamed “The Dark Side”) because of his versatility in the slot – suffered a low ankle sprain during Wednesday’s practice but is expected to play Sunday in Super Bowl 2026, head coach Mike Macdonald said.
Breathe a sigh of relief, Seahawks fans — and anyone else who saw the worrisome video of Emmanwori limping into the team hotel Wednesday after arriving separately than his teammates. His foot was not in a boot.
“He did the walkthrough (Thursday) – not sure how extensive, if at all, he is going to practice,” Macdonald said. “But he is confident, got a great plan. Fully expect him to play.”
Macdonald said Emmanwori is “moving around.”
Dr. David Chao – the former Chargers team physician – analyzes injuries off of video for SICscore.com and suggested it is “likely (a) right inversion ankle sprain” that would have prevented him from playing Thursday but did not rule him out for Sunday.
“We just have to make sure we handle it the right way,” Macdonald said. “Probably going to be overcareful and overcautious at this point to make sure we’re rolling going into the weekend.”
Emmanwori, a finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year, played 920 snaps in the regular season but lined up at three different spots more than 100 times each, per Pro Football Focus.
