LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 02: Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (3) peeks into the backfield during the Seattle Seahawks game versus the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium on November 02, 2025, in Landover, MD. (Lee Coleman / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)
RENTON, Wash. - The Seattle Seahawks might have something truly special brewing with rookie safety Nick Emmanwori.
Though calling him a "safety" alone seems like a disservice at this point.
Emmanwori has been playing all over Seattle's defense this season as head coach Mike Macdonald continues to put more responsibility on his shoulders. He's played at all three levels of the defense this season, including adding pass rushing snaps from a defensive end alignment in recent weeks.
Macdonald said it's causing him to create new ideas on the fly in an attempt to maximize Emmanwori's potential within the Seahawks' defense.
"We've never really had a player like him," Macdonald said. "We are making it up as we go to a certain extent. I hate to admit that, but we kind of are."
What Emmanwori is doing this season is completely out of the norm. Sure, players can move across positions on the defensive line, or split time between cornerback and safety. But being able to play well as a safety, linebacker, and lined up on the defensive line? Sometimes even within the same defensive possession? That takes something a little bit different.
"First of all, let me say Nick can be the best of all of us," safety Julian Love said of Emmanwori. "Obviously, we're not 6-(foot)-3, can run and jump, all this stuff, can bend. … And from the jump, I think Mike did a great job of just introducing him to, like, small concepts at once. Like he's not trying to make him learn all these things. He's like, learn this, rep it, now you can learn this, learn this. And so now, even if he's not perfect on the field, he just flies around and can make plays just because he's a special player."
It's pretty lofty praise, but the Seahawks wouldn't be doing it if Emmanwori didn't show he was capable of it.
"He's shown the ability to do it," Macdonald said. "If you show the ability to do something, we're going to let you go do it. It's really that simple, but it's pretty cool. It allows us to do some things in the back end that we've really never been able to do. So, that's a great opportunity for us.
"It’s just his overall intelligence that allows him to do it. I think he's really determined to not let his teammates down so he can be on his stuff and he's an ambitious guy. He's competitive, he wants to make an impact while he's out there and he understands that we want to let that come to life. So, in order to do that you’ve got to be on your stuff, beyond your details, and it's a lot of time investment too, that he's willing to put in as well. It's a combination of things."
Seattle has used Emmanwori as a cornerback in nickel situations, and as a linebacker in dime. He's trained to play the deep safety roles should Seattle end up short-handed in a game, which they almost did when Ty Okada was injured in Tennessee. He's been a blitzer off the edge of the defense and lined up over the offensive tackles as a pass rusher as well.
"I thnk it starts with his mentality," defensive coordinator Aden Durde said. "He wants to attack it. He's trying to be the best. He's always trying to push for that extra step."
It would be a lot for a seasoned NFL veteran to absorb, let alone a player just nine games into his NFL career.
"I think I'm a special type of player, special type of guy. I think I can handle it," Emmanwori said. "That just may be my confidence talking, and I may look back and be like, ‘Wow, I was really doing a lot.’ But right now, I know I can handle it and I know I can do it.
"I'm a young player, it's my first year, but in my mind, I want to succeed so fast and succeed so bad, it's like, I've got to take my time and just understand the details of the game and different aspects of, I'm playing different roles and just trying to be every-down player and every-situation type of player. So I’ve just got to understand that and just get better at that, which I think I've been doing."
Emmanwori has 47 tackles this season with a half-sack, and nearly came up with his first interception while guarding one of the best receivers in the NFL last week in Minnesota's Justin Jefferson.
Emmanwori lined up over Jefferson and covered his curl route perfectly. Then, as quarterback Max Brosmer scrambled to buy time, Emmanwori remained attached to Jefferson as he tried to find space for a throw. Brosmer's pass hit Emmanwori in the hands but he was unable to hold on for the interception.
Despite winning the play, the missed opportunity for the interception left Emmanwori frustrated.
"That was a tough play, because the way I'm so competitive, I don’t really look at as like, I’m lined up against Justin Jefferson and I just strapped him up or whatever," Emmanwori said. "I look at is as like, ‘Oh, my God, I missed that.’ I’ve got to just find a good line between that, because sometimes I can get you down, like, dang, get you hung up on that play. But also, it's just shows what type of expectation I have for myself. It doesn't matter who's out there, I'm more competitive with myself and I want bad for myself more than who I’m guarding and stuff."
None of it would be possible if Emmanwori didn't have the talent, size and speed to make it all come to life on the field.
"The number one thing is you see all his speed," Durde said. "If he's playing slow, you can't do (all of) it."
Julian Love named Walter Payton Man of the Year Nominee:
Safety Julian Love was named as the Seahawks' nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, which recognizes excellence on the field and in the community.
"It's a really big honor," Love said. "With the name attached to it, Walter Payton, I'm from Chicago, it hits real close to home just kind of the impact he had on the city I was growing up in, on and off the field, and so anything with his name attached to it is incredibly special. And, you know, it's an award, but it's cool just be able to make an impact in the community."
Love has been limited in practice the last two days after being designated to return from the injured reserve list. Love has been out since Week 4 due to a hamstring injury, which he aggravated heading into the team's bye week last month.
"I've always played through stuff, and so I was trying to get back, not rushing it, following the plan, and then the setback kind of right before that bye week was killer," Love said.
Love didn't confirm fully that he'd be back this week, but said there is a plan for him to do so.
"There's a plan. I don't know if I can say that, but there's a plan in place for me to kind of get ramped up," he said.
Seattle has two open spots on their 53-man roster after waiving nose tackle Quinton Bohanna on Thursday.
Jason Myers named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month:
Kicker Jason Myers was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November by the NFL on Thursday.
Myers went 15-of-16 on field goal attempts and a perfect 16-of-16 on extra point tries in November. His lone miss was from 61 yards at the end of Seattle's 21-19 loss to the Los Angeles Rams – a distance that would have matched his career-long.
Myers joins receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba as players to earn Player of the Month honors for the Seahawks this season. Smith-Njigba was the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for October.
Additionally, linebackers DeMarcus Lawrence (Week 10 vs. Arizona) and Ernest Jones IV (Week 13 vs. Minnesota) were named NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
Injury Report:
The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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