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Seahawks Face Safety Shortage After Emmanwori Appears in Pads and Okada Misses Practice

Late practice developments could force Seattle into roster elevations or schematic shifts that change its defense against New England.

Overview

  • Nick Emmanwori was a limited participant and appeared in pads at Sunday practice as he works back from July arthroscopic ankle surgery, but the Seahawks have not announced his game status for Wednesday’s opener.
  • Starting safety Ty Okada did not practice on Sunday with what reporters say is a hamstring issue, creating a new availability question at a position where Seattle has narrow depth.
  • Seattle carries only three safeties on its 53-man roster—Okada, Julian Love and Emmanwori—and rookie Bud Clark is out for the season after breaking his ankle in the preseason.
  • The team added veteran D'Anthony Bell to the practice squad on Sept. 5 and is weighing options such as elevating practice-squad safeties, using a fifth defensive back, moving Devon Witherspoon to nickel, or deploying three off-ball linebackers.
  • Coaches must make final game-status calls before Wednesday and Emmanwori’s appearance in pads should be seen as a rehab milestone not a guarantee to play, with any absence likely to reshape Seattle’s defensive matchups and play-calling.