The Seattle Seahawks are starting a new era, but it is always a balance for the franchise to know how much deference to show towards past stars. Seattle’s latest announcement has some fans questioning the team’s decision.
Gone are the Legion of Boom days, but fans still have fond memories of the era culminated by back-to-back Super Bowl runs during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. The Seahawks announced new numbers for the team’s rookies and one jersey turned heads.
New quarterback Jalen Milroe will wear No. 6, which is not the decision under scrutiny. The Seahawks revealed that second-round pick Nick Emmanwori will wear No. 3, the former jersey number of star quarterback Russell Wilson. Some fans took to social media to express their frustration.
“This just does the look right,” one fan remarked.
“Yall wrong for giving him that number,” another added.
“This is gonna go over well… 🤣,” said one person.
“Yikes,” a fan added.
“Nobody should be wearing 3,” said another fan.
“3 should be off limits man,” added another.
Nick Emmanwori on Russell Wilson: ‘He Did a Lot for This Organization’
Emmanwori attempted to defend his decision to wear the legendary No. 3, emphasizing his love for the quarterback. The Seahawks new safety was initially targeting the No. 7, but this number is being worn by pass rusher Uchenna Nwosu.
“He did a lot for this organization,” Emmanwori said of Wilson on May 2, 2025, per NFL.com’s Grant Gordon. “He did everything he could. So, I’m gonna do what I can in this number and make it special on defense in my own way.”
Emmanwori explained how he ended up with No. 3 instead of No. 7. The rookie is hoping that his play on the field will have fans less concerned about his jersey number.
“I kinda was looking for single digits,” Emmanwori added. “(No.) 7 wasn’t available, so I was looking at the next number that could mean something to me. Russell Wilson’s one of my favorite quarterbacks growing up with that Legion of Boom defense, you had an offense, too. Respect to Russell.”
Nick Emmanwori Is Drawing Comparisons to Seahawks Legend Kam Chancellor
Seattle clearly has a lot of faith in the rookie defender. The Seahawks moved up 17 spots in the second round to select Emmanwori with the No. 52 overall pick.
The former South Carolina Gamecocks standout grabbed attention at the NFL combine posting a 4.38-second time in the 40-yard dash. Heading into the draft, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared Emmanwori to Jeremy Chinn, giving the safety a first-round grade.
“The assessment of Emmanwori’s tape could depend on which games you watch,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft profile of Emmanwori. “He’s a physical specimen with rare size and outstanding speed, but he doesn’t always play with a ‘first to the action’ mentality in run support. When he gets it cranked up, he becomes a much more effective tackler and overall run stopper from sideline to sideline.
“He’s capable of playing over the top, inside the box or even matching up with pass-catching tight ends. He’s upright with average transition fluidity in coverage, but he has great recovery speed and uses his length to throw a blanket over the catch point. He has rare NFL traits and talent, so a boost in urgency could take him from a good starter to a Pro Bowl-caliber player.”
Emmanwori is already drawing comparisons to another Seahawks legend: Kam Chancellor. At 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, Emmanwori’s size, speed and ferocity may look familiar to Seahawks fans.
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