The Seattle Seahawks have lost a few key players in their secondary this offseason, with Coby Bryant departing for the Chicago Bears and Riq Woolen joining the Philadelphia Eagles.
Both of those players are big losses, and to replace them, the Seahawks might be relying heavily on second-year standout defensive back Nick Emmanwori.
However, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler shared some bad news on Emmanwori, revealing that the fan favorite DB might not actually be good to go by Week 1 of the NFL regular season.
Seahawks get bad news on Nick Emmanwori for Week 1 vs. Patriots
"The Seahawks say safety/big nickel Nick Emmanwori has a chance to return in Week 1 from offseason ankle surgery, but that's not a certainty at this point," Fowler writes.
This update from Fowler isn't particularly encouraging. While Emmanwori has a chance to play Week 1, Fowler isn't confident that's what's going to happen.
He could end up being okay in time for the regular season opener, where the Seahawks have a Super Bowl rematch against the New England Patriots.
While Emmanwori could be on the field for Week 1, there is some uncertainty about the 22-year-old being ready to go for the regular season.
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If nothing else, this update likely means Emmanwori is going to miss most, if not all, of the preseason. If Week 1 of the regular season isn't a certainty, all of their preseason games should be considered unlikely.
After hauling in one interception, 11 passes defended, 2.5 sacks, and 81 tackles in his rookie season, alongside four passes defended, one fumble recovery, and 13 tackles in the playoffs, Emmanwori is a very exciting young player for this defense in 2026.
But, his status to begin the year is unfortunately a question mark. This update from Fowler reveals Emmanwori might not be ready for Week 1, though he does have a chance to suit up for the regular season opener if all goes well with his injury recovery.
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