The Seattle Seahawks are expected to have Nick Emanvori available for Sunday’s Super Bowl despite a late injury scare for the star linebacker.
The second-round pick limped into practice Wednesday after suffering an ankle injury, leaving Seahawks fans with an anxious overnight wait just days away from their Super Bowl 60 showdown with the New England Patriots in Santa Clara, California.
Seahawks head coach Mike McDonald could see the lighter side Thursday, joking about the inevitable opening question at his press conference.
“There’s no way the first question is about Nick, is there?” he said.
“He rolled his ankle yesterday, he’s got a low ankle sprain. I’m not sure how big it is. He’s confident, we fully expect him to play.
“He’s doing great, we just have to make sure we handle it the right way. We probably have to be too careful and too careful.”
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Emanwori has established himself as one of the most valuable and versatile cogs in Macdonald’s reshaping defense during the second half of the season.
He split his time at safety, nickel, cornerback, linebacker and even edge rusher as Seattle’s new prized chess piece, recording 81 tackles, 2.5 sacks, one interception and 11 pass breakups during the regular season before recovering with a fumble and four sacks in the playoffs.
“I expect to play on Sunday. I feel good,” Emanwori told reporters on Thursday.
The Seahawks selected Emanvori with the 35th overall pick out of South Carolina last year, his arrival immediately prompting comparisons to MacDonald’s all-purpose use for Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton.
Emanwori’s impact was modest during the first half of the season, before he broke out and turned in outstanding performances against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18 and then against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game.
“He’s gotten better every game,” cornerback Devon Witherspoon said earlier this week. “He can do everything. He’s still buying. For a rookie to come in and play as a vet, you can’t ask for much more than that. He’s one of them.”
“The guy can blitz, he can tackle, he can set the edge, he can blitz through the B-gap, I mean, literally the guy can do anything. He can cover the slot, he can cover the tight end. Anything you want him to do, he can do.”
Watch the New England Patriots vs. the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California this Sunday, with coverage starting at 10:00 PM on Sky Spots NFL before kickoff around 11:30 PM. Get Ski Sports or stream without a contract on NOW.