The Seattle Seahawks will be without their starting quarterback in Week 2.
But there are signs that two important pieces of the defense are moving closer to returning.
Safety Nick Emmanwori was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice with ankle and hip injuries, while fellow safety Ty Okada didn’t practice because of a hamstring injury.
Even so, head coach Mike Macdonald said Okada still has a chance to play Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
Seattle Times reporter Bob Condotta posted the full Wednesday injury report, which also listed guard Anthony Bradford, tackle Josh Jones and receiver Cooper Kupp as limited. Receiver Tory Horton and cornerback Josh Jobe were full participants.
The injury development is especially notable after both Emmanwori and Okada missed Seattle’s 13-10 season-opening win over the New England Patriots.
With Sam Darnold already ruled out for Sunday and Drew Lock set to start, getting either safety back would give an key boost on a defense that may again have to shoulder a large part of the workload.
Emmanwori Takes Another Step Toward 2026 Debut
Emmanwori has been working his way back from ankle surgery since before training camp. The second-year defensive back injured the ankle in practice before Super Bowl LX, still played in the game and participated in the offseason program before Seattle decided surgery offered the best long-term path.
The Seahawks announced Aug. 11 that Emmanwori had passed his physical, clearing another hurdle in his recovery. He was limited throughout the week leading into the opener but ultimately landed on the inactive list against New England.
His participation Wednesday keeps the possibility of a season debut alive. Macdonald said earlier in the day that Emmanwori and Horton were “doing great” and would practice before the team evaluated their progress.
Seattle has plenty of reason to be patient with Emmanwori, who quickly became one of the more versatile pieces in Macdonald’s defense as a rookie. A 2025 second-round pick out of South Carolina, he started 11 of 14 regular-season games and all three postseason contests. He finished his rookie year with 80 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 11 passes defensed and an interception, earning PFWA All-Rookie honors and finishing second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
Even a limited return would give Macdonald more flexibility in a secondary built around interchangeable defensive backs.
Okada Could Give Seahawks Secondary Another Reinforcement
Okada’s status is murkier because he remained out of practice Wednesday, but Macdonald offered a meaningful update before the session.
“Ty Okada has a chance to play this week,” Macdonald said, according to Seahawks.com.
Okada started 11 games last season and entered 2026 as a first-team safety. His hamstring injury kept him out of the opener, leaving Seattle thin enough at the position that the team signed AJ Finley from the practice squad to the 53-man roster and elevated Rodney Thomas II for the game.
The patched-together group held up. Seattle intercepted Drake Maye three times in the fourth quarter, including a late pick in the end zone that sealed the comeback victory, via the Associated Press.
The Seahawks would welcome a little more stability before traveling to Arizona. Darnold’s glute injury means Lock will make his first start of the season, increasing the value of a defense capable of shortening the field and keeping the game under control.
Wednesday did not guarantee that Emmanwori or Okada will return. It did, however, move Seattle closer to a healthier version of a secondary that survived Week 1 without either of them.
Seahawks Get Hopeful Nick Emmanwori, Ty Okada Injury News Before Cardinals Game