Seattle Seahawks: Earl Thomas Contemplates Retirement After Injury
By Paul Taylor
Shortly after suffering a likely season-ending injury, Seahawks’ safety Earl Thomas tweeted out that he was considering retirement, but how seriously should we take his comment?
The Seattle Seahawks just don’t seem to be able to catch a break on the injury front this season. As such, fans should not really be surprised to hear that Earl Thomas suffered a cracked tibia, after a collision with teammate Kam Chancellor.
As a result, Thomas is likely out for the remainder of the season and the playoffs. Pete Carroll discussed the free safety’s injury with ESPN‘s Sheil Kapadia and the rest of the media, shortly after the Seahawks’ 40-7 blowout of the Carolina Panthers.
Carroll said: “He broke his leg tonight, so I don’t know what that means, but it’s always six weeks anyway. I don’t know how severe it is, but it’s very unfortunate.”
More from Seattle Seahawks
- Seattle Seahawks: To rest or not to rest, that is the question
- Seattle Seahawks: 12s still waiting to exhale
- Seattle Seahawks: 4 Takeaways from 26-23 Loss to the 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks: Four Takeaways from Week 14 21-7 victory
- Seattle Seahawks: Three Takeaways from the Week 13 43-16 victory
While fans and teammates alike contemplated the 27-year old’s loss, it appeared he was doing some thinking of his own. This included wondering if he had played his last game in the NFL.
Taking to Twitter, Thomas wrote: “This game has been so good to me no regrets. A lot is running through my mind including retirement thanks for all the prayers.”
Understandably, a lot of people were shocked by this. The question is, how seriously should we take the tweet?
One thing to consider, is the Orange, Texas native is renowned for being a very emotional player, who was likely going through the process of dealing with his injury. With this in mind, teammate Richard Sherman said not to take the comments too seriously.
Speaking to Kapadia after the game, Sherman said: “All of us consider retirement just about every game and when you get an injury like that, a lot of stuff goes through your mind. I would think it’s a little bit of an exaggeration.”
The Seahawks’ cornerback added that he had spoken to Thomas and said he was in good spirits: “He’s a strong-willed dude, so he’ll be fine.”
Of more immediate concern, Thomas’ loss is a massive blow for the Seahawks. The question is, how will his loss affect the dynamic of the team?
In fairness, the defense has dealt well with a number of key absences this season, including Chancellor and Michael Bennett. However, their five-time Pro Bowl safety is often referred to as the key to the entire unit.
Certainly, it will be intriguing to see how the Seahawks adapt without Thomas. His place in the lineup will be taken by Steven Terrell, who has a solitary start in his three-year career.
Next: Signing Marcel Reece makes perfect sense
How seriously are you taking Thomas’ retirement comment? Of more immediate concern, how do you think the Seahawks’ defense will perform without his presence in the secondary? Share your thoughts in the comments section.