Football is a brutal sport, and often, as one player returns from missing time because of being hurt, another leaves for the same reason. That is the case in Week 3, when the Seattle Seahawks will have quarterback Sam Farnold behind center but won't have safeties Ty Okada or Julian Love on the back end. This likely changes things for Nick Emmanwori.
In place of Love (calf) and Okada (hamstring) will be AJ Finley and Rodney Thomas II. 12s know what to expect from Thomas, as he will be starting his third straight game in place of Okada. Thomas is solid in coverage and against the run, but not necessarily transformative in either.
From Finley, no one can be completely sure what to expect. He's been in the NFL since 2023, when he broke in with the Los Angeles Chargers, but he's never started a game before. Between Week 1 of 2025 and now, he has only appeared in one game, mostly due to a knee injury suffered before last season.
AJ Finley's first start could force the Seattle Seahawks to use Nick Emmanwori differently
Even if Finley had been healthy, though, he wouldn't have been expected to start or likely even play on defense much. Instead, he might be lucky to get a few reps on special teams.
His relative inexperience probably means that head coach Mike Macdonald is going to be a bit more traditional in how he uses his secondary against the Washington Commanders, and that, in turn, likely means that Nick Emmanwori will be doing something he doesn't normally have to do: Be a pure safety.
The second-year star could have more snaps at Love's position while Thomas keeps playing in Okada's role. He's been good there, but missing Love will have an effect on the entire defense. He is arguably the most underrated safety in the NFL and has had interceptions in three straight games dating back to last season's Super Bowl.
Instead of lining up at cornerback or edge rusher (which he did one time in Week 2) or anywhere else Macdonald wants him to be, Emmanwori will probably need to play the deep part of the field, limiting the impact he can have in the scheme. His versatility makes him special, but he likely won't be able to be as versatile against the Commanders.
Does this mean that the Seattle Seahawks will struggle a bit more defensively? Maybe not, as the team still has an abundance of high-end talent on that side of the ball and is coached by the defensive mastermind that is Mike Macdonald.
Washington also won't be playing with its starting quarterback, Jayden Daniels. Marcus Mariota, a solid backup, will play in Daniels' place. Perhaps of any game this season, Week 3 could be the one where Emmanwori playing a more traditional role works out well.
Or maybe Finley proves to be an unsung star in his first career start. That is the hope, and if he plays well at the beginning of the game, Macdonald might feel more free to move Emmanwori around and have Mariota guessing where the defensive back will be from play to play.
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