Legendary Ex-Seahawks 7-Time Pro Bowler Attempting NFL Comeback: Report

Earl Thomas

Getty Earl Thomas (right) is attempting an NFL comeback.

Former Seattle Seahawks Legion of Boom member Earl Thomas is attempting to make an NFL comeback. Thomas has not played an NFL game since 2019 during his lone season with the Ravens. The former Seahawks safety told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that he is in shape and his “timing is on point.”

“Former seven-time Pro-Bowl safety Earl Thomas, who last played for Baltimore in 2019 and who turns 33 in May, said today that he wants to resume his NFL career this season,” Schefter tweeted on April 22, 2022. “‘I’m ready,’ Thomas texted. ‘I’m in shape. My timing is on point – I’m proud of that.'”

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Thomas Has a Complicated Legacy With the Seahawks

Many Seahawks fans remember Thomas’ final moments in a Seattle uniform as the safety extended his middle finger to head coach Pete Carroll as he was being carted off the field with a broken leg on September 30, 2018. During the 2019 offseason, Thomas went on to sign a four-year, $55 million contract with the Ravens and made the Pro Bowl during his only season in Baltimore.

Things took a turn for the worst as the Ravens released Thomas on August 23, 2020 after an on-field altercation with Baltimore safety Chuck Clark. Despite plenty of rumors linking Thomas to other teams, the safety has been unable to find a new home.

During his last NFL season, Thomas notched 49 tackles, six quarterback hits, two sacks, four pass deflections, two interceptions and one forced fumbles. Thomas made six Pro Bowl appearances and three All-Pro teams during his nine seasons with the Seahawks. The defender was also a key member of the Seahawks’ two Super Bowl appearances, including the team’s title run during the 2013 season.


Would the Seahawks Consider a Reunion With Thomas?

Carroll has been widely regarded as a player’s coach, but the Seahawks have had messy divorces with several of the stars from the Super Bowl team, including Thomas. Most recently, Bobby Wagner criticized the Seahawks for not informing him first about their plans to release the linebacker. After Thomas’ middle-finger incident, Carroll encouraged people to “give him a little slack.”

“We’d made such a good turn in a good direction and then he has to deal with that,” Carroll told ESPN 710 Seattle on October 1, 2018. “I really think that, I know there’s been a lot of talk about it, people that are criticizing whatever happened don’t understand. This was an earth shattering moment for a kid. He’s trying to play this game he loves and all the sudden this happens again.

“He knew exactly what had happened to him. He went right to what it’s going to take to get back… but he was very chilled about it on the field. He was an unbelievable stud about handling it. So give him a little slack. This is a very, very difficult moment that most people would never understand what this is about.”

Despite the complicated history, would the Seahawks give Thomas another opportunity? Carroll has left the door open for other players, including the team re-signing Marshawn Lynch at the end of the 2019 season after the running back position was decimated by injuries.

With Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams on the roster, the Seahawks do not have an immediate need at safety making a Thomas signing unlikely. There is also the reality that Thomas has not played an NFL game in two seasons. Yet, the Seahawks can never be completely ruled out in these unique situations, especially given the team’s affinity for Thomas despite the ugly ending to his career in Seattle.