Earl Thomas wants back in and the Seattle Seahawks should let him

Former Seattle Seahawks All-Pro safety and Legion of Boom member Earl Thomas hasn't played in the NFL since his ugly exit from the Baltimore Ravens over four years ago. Thomas sat down with Josina Anderson on the inaugural episode of her new series on YouTube, The Exhibit, which aired on Friday morning. Thomas talked for over thirty minutes as he recounted his NFL career and pleaded with general managers across the league for one final run.

The former Seahawk hasn't lost a bit of confidence, even after his time away from the game amidst several controversies that led to his departure from the league. When Anderson asked if Thomas thought he was a first-ballot Hall of Famer, Thomas claimed he was better than the likes of Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu and even stated the Seahawks would not have won the Super Bowl without him.

But before any Hall of Fame speech, Thomas wants one more chance in the league. Anderson asked Thomas what his pitch to NFL GMs would be. Thomas said he knows he can still play, but it has to be "in the right atmosphere." He wants an atmosphere "that understands" him. Now, I think we all know one NFL franchise in particular who is keen on second chances and one general manager in particular who will never say never.

Why would the Seahawks kick the tires on Earl Thomas?

The most obvious answer to why Seattle's ears may have perked up during that interview is the lack of certainty of the Seahawks' safety group. Both Rayshawn Jenkins and K'Von Wallace are currently on injured reserve, leaving Julian Love and Coby Bryant as the only true safeties available. However, after not playing the game since August of 2020, what sort of shape is Earl Thomas in?

The realistic answer is that Thomas is likely not in shape to play. However, just because you sign him doesn't mean he has to play. I understand how absurd that sounds, but think about it. Seattle recently brought in 42-year-old Jason Peters. Peters hasn't played a snap for Seattle, but he is there for emergency situations and, most importantly, developing the younger offensive linemen on the roster. Why can't Earl Thomas do the same thing?

Say you give Earl Thomas a minimum contract and sign him to the practice squad. Sure, Thomas would be given a chance in practice to show what he has left in the tank. If the tank is inevitably on empty, you don't play him, obviously. But he could be valuable as a player-coach to the young defensive backs on the Seahawks roster. In the interview with Anderson, Thomas said, "I have dreams and goals of coaching in the NFL - not high school, maybe college, but the NFL."

The role of a player-coach

When a team brings in a veteran - and I mean an old veteran - they usually don't expect world-breaking play from them. Think of a team with a rookie quarterback bringing in a veteran backup quarterback. They aren't paying him to throw the ball on Sundays, but they are paying him to be an invaluable piece to mentor and develop the player of the future.

We've seen John Schneider and the Seahawks do it before. I mentioned Jason Peters earlier, who reportedly just loves hanging out with the guys, helping them develop, and just being a wealth of knowledge around the facility available to the younger players. Even though the depth at the offensive tackle position is very, very thin, the Seahawks don't expect Peters to play serious football for them. They're paying him to just be around.

Earl Thomas, while he may think he still has some playing time in him, understands the reality of his situation and has dreams of coaching in the NFL. I'm sure he does miss being in locker rooms with the guys and competing every week. Seattle and Thomas could find some middle ground by signing him to the practice squad, letting him acclimate back into an NFL environment, and ultimately allowing the younger defensive backs to come to Thomas to learn more about the game he once dominated.

Bringing back Earl Thomas is low-risk, high-reward

The worst that could happen is Earl looks 35 years old in practice, never sees the field, gets angry, and acts out. Seattle cuts him, loses no money, and moves on. Thomas's history suggests that is a very real possibility. But the upside is pretty intriguing.

What if Earl really does still have something left in the tank? He could maybe find himself active on gamedays as a practice squad call-up in a reserve role. While I think that's the ceiling of his actual playing potential, there's so much more value in him as a player-coach.

The best possible scenario is Earl is in shape, both physically and mentally, is motivated, but understands his limitations. We all know he is a very competitive person and once he is reintegrated into the NFL, he will want his team to win football games.

The best-case scenario is he realizes his goal of coaching in the NFL and sheds his wealth of knowledge around the team, especially to the younger defensive backs. If Earl Thomas could become a good presence in the locker room, a good mentor to the young guys, and a motivated teacher, there's no reason why he shouldn't have a future as a defensive assistant.

Seattle is certainly on Thomas's radar, as he said to Anderson, "I definitely think that one of my former teams would welcome me with open arms … they know I can get the best out of guys … maybe not so much the Baltimore Ravens … but you know, I got a really good hold on the Seahawks right now".

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