Seahawks Press — 2026-06-09#

Top Takeaway#

Nick Emmanwori is actively cross-training with the edge rushers heading into his second year, adding a new layer of versatility to his game and signaling further evolution in Mike Macdonald’s defensive scheme.

Press Conferences & Interviews#

Jaxon Smith-Njigba JSN was relaxed and reflective, noting that while the team recently received their mini Lombardi trophies, Mike Macdonald has aggressively installed a forward-looking mindset to prevent a Super Bowl hangover. With his lucrative new contract officially signed and out of the way early, Smith-Njigba emphasized his focus is purely on mastering the new offense and continuing his year-two growth with Sam. He also singled out “Rasheed” as looking more explosive than ever after finally getting a full offseason program under his belt, and noted his excitement to play off “Shee and Coupe”.

Nick Emmanwori Emmanwori sounded highly confident heading into year two, revealing he is taking physical reps with the edge group to become a more complete, positionless player as the NFL game evolves. He noted he is already diagnosing formations much faster than last season and is soaking up veteran mentorship from Demarcus Warren on how to win easily with his physical gifts. Most notably, he admitted he spent the entire offseason rehabbing an ankle injury that he tweaked during Super Bowl warmups, but confirmed he is fully healthy and taking full reps now.

Ernest Jones IV While the team published a press conference for Ernest Jones IV where he discussed how the defense is taking the “next step mentally,” his full interview quotes were not made available in today’s transcript logs.

Injury & Roster Updates#

Nick Emmanwori confirmed he played through an ankle issue during the Super Bowl and spent the ensuing offseason in Seattle strictly rehabbing the joint to fortify it and ensure there were no lingering problems. He explicitly stated he is a full-go for the current offseason program. On the roster and administrative front, Jaxon Smith-Njigba confirmed his new contract extension is officially finalized, which eliminates any potential holdout drama and keeps the star receiver locked in.

Reading Between the Lines#

Mike Macdonald’s defensive scheme continues to demand extreme versatility, as evidenced by Emmanwori—a defensive back—being asked to prioritize edge rushing reps to stay “ahead of the curve”. On the offensive side of the ball, JSN’s unprompted praise for Rasheed suggests the coaching staff is expecting a significant leap from him in this new system following a dedicated offseason. Furthermore, the lack of contract anxiety from JSN proves the front office’s strategy of getting priority deals done early is actively helping the locker room maintain focus on football rather than business.