EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSAN JOSE, Calif. -- Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said Thursday that he "fully expects" rookie nickelback Nick Emmanwori to play in Super Bowl LX despite an injury scare with an ankle.Macdonald said Emmanwori suffered a low right ankle sprain when he rolled it late in practice Wednesday. Emmanwori did not practice Thursday afternoon, which Macdonald had indicated was a possibility."He's doing great," Macdonald said. "Moving around. Just got to make sure we handle it the right way. Probably going to be overcareful and overcautious at this point to make sure we're rolling going into the weekend."The Seahawks play the New England Patriots on Sunday at Levi's Stadium.Left tackle Charles Cross remained limited in Thursday's practice with the foot injury he played through in the NFC Championship Game, as did fullback Robbie Ouzts because of his neck injury. Every other Seahawks player was listed as a full participant, including quarterback Sam Darnold, which was a first since injuring his oblique on Jan. 15. He had been listed as limited on the first eight injury reports the Seahawks released after that.According to the pool report from ESPN's Kalyn Kahler, players and coaches went over to Emmanwori after he went down Wednesday before he walked off the field on his own power."It kind of caught me off guard," Emmanwori said Thursday. "The practice wasn't nothing crazy or nothing; we weren't going hard out there. But I just rolled it. I'll be good to go for Sunday, so I'm looking forward to that."Macdonald said that the Seahawks will take it day-by-day with Emmanwori in practice the rest of the week, while reiterating that he'll play Sunday."See how he's feeling," Macdonald said. "He'll be ready to go regardless. Let's do the smartest thing for us and him every day, and make sure we're ready to go, We'll evaluate it tomorrow and see how much he can do."Emmanwori, a second-round draft pick out of South Carolina, injured the same ankle on the first series of the Seahawks' season opener, sidelining him for the rest of that game and the next three. After his return, he emerged as a difference-maker while playing virtually every snap and moving all around Macdonald's defense.Emmanwori, who was a finalist for AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, said this ankle injury didn't feel as severe initially as the one from the opener, noting that he was able to walk off on his own."Nobody really wants to get hurt or banged up during the Super Bowl week or any week at that," he said. "So, it just kind of caught me off guard. It was just a little scare. But imaging came back. ... We've got a good plan to go for Sunday, so I'll be fine. I'll be good."
