The Seattle Seahawks have come to an agreement with their second-round pick, Nick Emmanwori, on a contract that helped the team close out its rookie business, but which also takes on some added interest outside the Seahawks fandom. By agreeing to a fully guaranteed contract, Emmanwori became the first player taken at #35 to have all their money guaranteed.
Emmanwori is a safety who played his college ball at the University of South Carolina. Emmanwori made a splash in his freshman year, earning SEC All-Freshman honors in his first campaign and leading the team in tackles. He built on this strong start throughout his college career, and by the time he concluded it with his junior year he was a First Team All-SEC safety as well as a First Team All-American, making him one of the top defensive back prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft.
How Did We Get Here?
Operation Sports App
Your ultimate companion for sports gaming. Access in-depth coverage, thoughtful discussion, and a community built around the games—and sports—you love.
Your ultimate sports gaming companion.
After the safety prospect went undrafted in the first round, the Seahawks quickly seized the chance to pick Emmanwori up early in the second, adding him to their secondary as they aim to recreate the glory days when a strong second line of defense led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl win and nearly kept Tom Brady from winning yet another Super Bowl.
Seattle showed they valued Emmanwori on the second day of the draft when they negotiated a trade to move up and secure his service, sending the 52nd and 82nd picks to Tennessee for the 35th pick. Until this past week Emmanwori remained a part of a backup of second round picks triggered by the Texans signing wide receiver Jayden Higgins to a fully guaranteed contract. Now both Emmanwori and 33rd overall selection Carson Schwesinger, a linebacker out of UCLA drafted by the Browns, have fully guaranteed deals of their own.
What Does This Mean For Guaranteed Contracts Going Forward?
The groundbreaking deal comes at a critical time for guaranteed contracts. The Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast has revealed some damning information on collusion between not just league owners but representatives of the NFL Players Association in obscuring damning revelations, including an assessment by the neutral arbiter overseeing the dispute determining, as Torre reads from the acquired documents, “there is little question that the NFL management council, with the blessing of the commissioner, encouraged the 32 NFL clubs to reduce guarantees in veteran contracts.”
Guaranteed contracts have been a sticking point among owners, particularly after the Browns made the galaxy-brained decision to make DeShaun Watson the recipient of the most lucrative guaranteed contract ever while the quarterback was facing sexual abuse accusations from more than 20 women he had hired for professional massages.
While second rounders may seem less important on this issue than players like Watson, a man who may well find himself in possession of a far less-celebrated Bobby Bonilla Day of his own should the Browns ever find a way out from under the weight of that deal, for owners hard lines on any guarantees are seen as beneficial and carried out as strictly as they think they can get away with without violating labor laws. The real world is not Madden, and win-at-all-costs doesn’t always trump protecting the bottom line for many owners.
This news represents a step forward for players and those in favor of player power, but it’s still to be seen if it’s more than just a blip and instead an actual sign of progress as the broader NFL news around guarantees remains overshadowed by the larger, negative news.
Published: Jul 21, 2025 12:19 pm