2025 NFL Playoff Buzz: Key Players for Seahawks, Patriots Practice in Full

It all comes down to this! With Super Bowl LX right around the corner, we’re tracking everything you need to know ahead of kickoff. Who’s hurt? Who’s practicing? Who might be on the move? Here’s the latest: Seahawks rookie Nick Emmanwori participates fully in practice Seahawks rookie safety Emmanwori was a full participant in Friday’s practice, according to a pool report. Emmanwori, who injured his ankle during Wednesday’s practice at San Jose State University ahead of Seattle facing New England in the Super Bowl, reportedly joined the defensive backs in drills Friday. Emmanwori did not practice on Thursday. He was listed as a full participant during Friday’s practice on the Seahawks’ injury report. On Thursday, Emmanwori explained he was injured while defending a pass on a routine out route during Wednesday’s practice. When he landed, he rolled his ankle on the grass. He walked off the field on his own, and Emmanwori said he expected to play on Sunday. “It just kind of caught me off guard,” Emmanwori said Thursday. “Nobody really wants to get hurt or banged up during the Super Bowl week or any week like that. It just kind of caught me off guard.” Emmanwori, a second-round draft pick, appeared in 14 games during the regular season and had 81 tackles, 2 1/2 sacks, one interception and 11 pass breakups in the regular season. During the playoffs, Emmanwori has a fumble recovery and four passes defensed, including three in the NFC championship game. Patriots owner Robert Kraft, ex-HC Bill Belichick snubbed by Pro Football Hall of Fame It appears Kraft will have to wait at least another year before he can enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as he was not selected for entry into this year’s class, which was announced Thursday in San Francisco ahead of the Super Bowl. Kraft was a first-time finalist this year, along with former Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who also didn’t receive the necessary 40 votes from the 50-person panel of media members and other Hall of Famers. [SUPER BOWL: Tom Brady to Patriots Owner Robert Kraft: ‘Get That 7th Ring So We Can Match’] Seahawks QB Sam Darnold’s oblique feels “really good” ahead of Super Bowl Darnold has played through an oblique injury during each of the Seahawks’ two playoff wins and he doesn’t expect it to affect him in the Super Bowl on Sunday. “Definitely the time off has helped a little bit,” Darnold said ahead of Wednesday’s practice. “I’m always just going to take it one step at a time, do my rehab and do everything I need to do to make sure it feels great going into practice and going into the game, obviously on Sunday. It feels great.” After his second straight Pro Bowl season, Darnold has excelled in the playoffs. In two playoff games, Darnold has completed 37 of 53 passes for 470 yards and thrown four touchdown passes with no interceptions. In the regular season, Darnold totaled 4,048 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, 14 interceptions and a 99.1 passer rating, while completing a career-high 67.7% of his passes. The Seahawks went 14-3 en route to being the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Patriots QB Drake Maye’s shoulder injury improves Maye said the shoulder injury that previously limited him in practice has improved enough that he had a normal workout on his first full day in the Bay Area on Feb. 2. Maye was unable to practice fully the week prior after reportedly injuring his throwing shoulder during a scramble in the AFC Championship Game. “I threw a good bit,” Maye said. “I threw as much as I would in a practice, and it felt great.” Maye said he will be fine for the game, which will come as a relief to Patriots fans counting on their second-year quarterback. Maye had a breakthrough season in 2025, earning second-team All-Pro honors and being named a finalist for both the AP NFL MVP award and the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Seahawks being sold? The Seahawks are expected to be put up for sale after Super Bowl LX, according to ESPN. Seattle’s NFL franchise is owned by Jody Allen, the sister of the late Paul Allen, who bought the Seahawks in 1997 for $194 million; the franchise stayed in the family after Allen’s death. The Allen family is also in the process of selling the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, which the Microsoft co-founder bought in 1988. The estate of the late Allen, however, is denying the report, according to a statement released to The Associated Press and other outlets. “We don’t comment on rumors or speculation, and the team is not for sale,” a spokesperson said. “We’ve already said that will change at some point per Paul’s wishes, but there is no news to share. Our focus right now is winning the Super Bowl and completing the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers in the coming months.” Raiders working on deal to hire Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak The Raiders are working toward finalizing an agreement to make Kubiak their head coach, per multiple reports. Kubiak interviewed with the Raiders on Jan. 31 for the second time and appeared in recent days to be their primary target. No announcement can be made until after Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Seahawks and Patriots in California. Kubiak, 38, would be the third coach in three seasons for the Raiders and fifth full-time leader since they moved to Las Vegas in 2020. He succeeds Pete Carroll, who went 3-14 in one season in Las Vegas after a storied run with Seattle that included two Super Bowl appearances and one championship. [SUPER BOWL: Super Bowl X-Factors: Players From Each Team Who Will Decide Seahawks vs. Patriots] Patriots DC Terrell Williams is cancer-free New England defensive coordinator Williams has been deemed cancer-free, per NFL Media, and is back with the team after a nearly five-month battle with prostate cancer. Williams attended meetings at the Patriots’ facility during his treatment, but he hasn’t traveled with the team all season and hasn’t been on the sideline since Week 1. Inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr filled in as New England’s defensive play-caller. “I feel like he never lost it,” Patriots linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson said. “He still had the charismatic energy and kept a smile on his face, he kept being positive. You wouldn’t be able to know anything was going on with him. I appreciated everything that he showed throughout the process.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.