On Tuesday afternoon in Seattle, a familiar blur could be seen darting around the Seahawks’ practice field at Virginia Mason Athletic Center decked out, at least for now, in red.

As he continues to recover from offseason shoulder surgery, Earl Thomas III returned to practice on Tuesday, donning a red no-contact jersey as he participated in team drills on Day 14 of Seahawks Camp.

Earl’s return to practice marks another major hurdle cleared by the four-time All-Pro safety, as he eyes a Week 1 return for the Hawks after undergoing surgery this offseason for a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

“I’m just happy that I got a chance to go out there today,” Earl said afterward. “My teammates were happy that I was out there and it just felt good to run around.”

ET III returns to practice in a red no-contact jersey (Seattle Times Photo).

This development came just one day after head coach Pete Carroll delivered good news when he updated the media, explaining that the team is still planning for No. 29 to suit up when they travel to St. Louis for their season opener on Sept. 13.

“As a matter of fact we’re on it right now and we’re trying to gauge how many days it’s going to take to get him back and figure out how to do this with him,” Carroll said. “That’s very much a topical issue for us right now, making sure we can get enough days to get him right, get him the work that he needs so that he can play. We’re shooting for the opener.”

Earl separated his shoulder on Jan. 18, as the Hawks edged the Green Bay Packers in the NFC championship game. Despite the injury, No. 29 played two weeks later in the Super Bowl. After more tests were conducted following the season to determine the severity of the injury, he underwent surgery on Feb. 24. The procedure done on ET III’s left shoulder usually puts players out for 6-8 months.

From day one, Earl and the Seahawks have been confident his recovery could put him at the early end of the timetable and have him ready for Week 1. He began camp on the physically unable to perform list but was activated from that list on Aug. 5. But after spending weeks as a spectator taking mental reps while his teammates went through them on the field, Tuesday marked his first day as a practice participant.

It is still unclear how long ET will be designated as a non-contact participant, but the West Orange, Texas native has remained adamant that he will not miss any time in the regular season. In four seasons, Earl has never missed a NFL game, appearing in 90 consecutive contests between the regular season and the playoffs. In fact the founding Legion of Boom member has only missed two series thus far in his career.

The Hawks have three preseason games remaining and will kickoff against the Rams at 10 a.m. PT on Sept. 13 on FOX to start their run at a third straight Super Bowl appearance.

RELATED LINKS

  • Pete Carroll provides injury update on Earl Thomas (Seahawks.com, Aug. 17, 2015)
  • Injury Roundup: Earl Thomas takes the field in Seattle (NFL.com, Aug. 18, 2015)
  • Earl Thomas back on field as Legion of Boom gets a little healthier (Seattle Times, Aug. 18, 2015)
  • Earl Thomas returns to practice for first time since surgery (The Olympian, Aug. 18, 2015)