In reality, there was no real drama between rookie safety Nick Emmanwori and the Seattle Seahawks, just as there is no real drama between tight end Elijah Arroyo and the team. The Collective Bargaining Agreement makes it nearly impossible for a player and his agent to put up much of a fight in rookie contracts.
Every draft selection has a slotted amount that a team will pay them, and one of the very few details to work out is how much of the money will be guaranteed. There is usually relatively little difference between the slotted amount and the guaranteed amount.
What threw things off this offseason was when the Houston Texans fully guaranteed second-round pick Jayden Higgins' deal, something that was unprecedented. Thankfully for NFL teams, the San Francisco 49ers signed number 43 choice Alfred Collins to a rookie contract that wasn't fully guaranteed.
Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori signs his rookie contract
The Seahawks had a question to ask themselves about whether to fully guarantee Emmanwori's deal since he was taken at pick 35. The team decided to do that and inked the rookie to a contract for four years and $11.6 million. This means when training camp begins on July 23, Emmanwori will be able to participate in drills fully.
In OTAs and minicamp, the safety showed a high football IQ and was catching on to what the Seahawks needed from him quickly. So much so that Emmanwori got a few reps in with the edge rush group as Seattle hopes to use the rookie's size (he is 6'3" and 225 pounds) and speed to disrupt opposing offenses in any way possible.
Seattle Seahawks and Nick Emmanwori reached agreement tonight on a fully guaranteed contract, marking the first time in NFL history that pick No. 35 in the second round has secured a fully-guaranteed contract.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 18, 2025
Deal was negotiated by Trevon Smith and David Mulugheta of Athletes…
Emmanwori getting a large number of reps early in the season would not be surprising. This is especially true as head coach Mike Macdonald likes to use three safeties quite a bit. Seeing Emmanwori, Coby Bryant, and Julian Love on the field at the same time is something Seahawks fans should get used to.
Seattle has only one remaining rookie who is unsigned, and that is Elijah Arroyo, the number 50 pick. The likelihood is that his contract will not be fully guaranteed. Working out the exact details of that is one reason he hasn't signed, but likely will soon.