Coach Thomas: Earl Making the Most of Camp

On Wednesday, Earl Thomas got news that was music to his ears — and the ears of his teammates, coaches and Seattle Seahawks fans. ET III passed his physical and was removed from the physically unable to perform list the he resided on for the first week of Seahawks training camp.

It was yet another step forward on the road to recovery for Earl, who is preparing to patrol Area 29 following offseason shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum (suffered in last season’s NFC Championship game).

But even before he was removed from the PUP list, Earl was making the Seahawks’ secondary stronger without putting on his helmet and pads.

Despite not being able to contribute on the field when the Seahawks opened training camp last week, ET III found another way to have an important effect on the squad by mentoring the younger defensive backs who are trying to step up and fill the void in the Legion of Boom.

“I think the key part for him is now he’s able to teach the younger guys all that he knows,” defensive coordinator Kris Richard said. “So that’s how we keep him inundated in the system right there is now he’s in a teaching position. Yeah, it may hurt him some not to be able to be out there, but he understands exactly where he is and what we need of him, so he’s in a really good place.”

ET III hopes to be ready for the first game of the season. But right now, Seattle’s defensive backfield looks very different than it did last year. In addition to Earl’s temporary absence, the Hawks are missing strong safety Kam Chancellor, who is not attending camp, cornerback Byron Maxwell, who departed via free agency and cornerbacks Jeremy Lane and Tharold Simon, who are both on the PUP list. That’s meant that less experienced players like DeShaun Shead and Steven Terrell have been forced to take on more important roles in training camp, and No. 29 is helping them get more comfortable.

In his vital role as a temporary player-coach Earl is working with Shead and Terrell while challenging them to get better each and every day. He and the Seahawks know that if they can get the players who will eventually serve as reserves playing at a high level, it will give Seattle depth in the defensive backfield once Earl is able to make a return to the field.

Meanwhile, ET’s focus and dedication to getting back on the field remains razor sharp.

“Earl is in a good place,” Richard said. “Of course he misses being out there on the field. But he understands the position that he is in right now. He has to rehab. He has to get his shoulder strong.”

While his shoulder heals, Earl is giving the young secondary a chance to learn from the best. Head coach Pete Carroll is a former defensive backs coach, Richard was Seattle’s defensive backs coach for the past three seasons and ET III happens to be one of the top defensive players in the game.

Of course the young players in the Seahawks secondary also have a three-time All Pro corner in Richard Sherman on the field with them, showing them the way each day. Sherman is plenty confident in what the Seahawks defense can do again this season and although Earl isn’t quite ready to join him on the field yet, Sherman finds it hard to believe anything will get in the way of No. 29 suiting up for Week 1.

“Can I imagine Earl Thomas not playing in a real game?” Sherman asked on Sunday. “I cannot. That’s not because I’ve played with him for so long. I just know him as a person. I know what kind of competitor he is, I know what kind of drive he has inside of him.”

Earl still has over a month until that first game of the season to get fully healthy. For now, ET III is doing everything he can to ensure every player around him is just as ready for Week 1 as he plans to be.