Report: Earl Thomas wants to stay with Seahawks 'if they want me'
On Wednesday, All-Pro safety Earl Thomas ended a lengthy holdout from the Seattle Seahawks after demands for a contract extension or a trade fell through.
Thomas gave in despite no new money, apparently not thrilled at the idea of missing $500,000 game checks while disappointing his teammates and fans. The Seahawks held their ground and even turned down a reported deal for a second-round pick from the Dallas Cowboys to part with Thomas.
Earl Thomas has big day in return to Seahawks
Thomas immediately demonstrated his value on Sunday, tallying an interception, two pass deflections and five tackles in a loss to the Denver Broncos, apparently no worse for having missed training with his teammates.
And, according to a report, Thomas would like to remain a Seahawk despite noting the “disrespect” from the team “that will not be forgotten” when he did return on Wednesday.
Thomas says he wants to stay in Seattle
“I talked to my agent,” Thomas told Curtis Crabtree of Seattle’s Sports Radio KJR and Pro Football Talk on Sunday about his decision to return. “We understood that I had a lot of money on the line. I just couldn’t throw it away. So basically I decided to come back. I’m glad I did.”
Thomas also told Crabtree that he’d like to remain in Seattle “if they want me.”
Do the Seahawks want to keep Thomas?
Whether the Seahawks want him long-term remains to be seen. Seattle has dismantled the core of its vaunted “Legion of Boom” defense, parting ways with stars like Richard Sherman and Michael Bennett as it has reprioritized how it spends its money.
Thomas is a free agent after the season, and the team will be forced to pay him a significant deal then if it wants to retain him. And it’s still not too late to trade him while they can get something in return.
The Seahawks play the Cowboys in Week 3 in their home opener. It makes sense that they wouldn’t have wanted to trade Thomas before the season only to face him so soon on the field. Whether that remains the case after the Cowboys game remains to be seen.
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