Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas, who is out for the season after breaking his tibia in a Week 12 victory against the Carolina Panthers, still hasn’t decided about retirement.
Seahawks’ Earl Thomas hasn’t decided whether to keep playing or retire
Thomas said he’s “kind of caught in between right now.”
Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images
During a Tuesday interview on The Rich Eisen Show, Eisen asked the veteran safety about his retirement talks.
”Yeah, I’m kind of enjoying just waking up in the mornings without the pressure,” Thomas said. “Peace is starting to return to me, bro, and I think that’s my ultimate goal in life. I just want to have peace. But I can say when I went back to the [Seahawks facility] the other day, my competitive juices came right back. I don’t know, man. I’m kind of caught in between right now.”
The thought of retirement crossed his mind an hour after he sustained the injury. Thomas said his “emotions were taking over” him, but he “was still thinking clearly.”
“Like I said, I still kind of feel the same way,” Thomas told Eisen. “It’s a lot of pressure when you play in this game. I play at a high level and my teammates expect me to do what I do. It’s all about recommitting myself, and I don’t know.”
Football affects not only Thomas, but also his family.
“Everything in my life is really affected by the game, even my time with my daughter, my wife, my mom, everybody,” Thomas said. “When you take it to football, things — the way you eat, the way you got to take care of your body, the constant training — it’s hard for you to be well rounded when you’re always thinking about football.”
Before Thomas went down with the injury, he racked up 48 tackles and two interceptions on the season. The 27-year-old is a five-time Pro Bowler and a four-time first-team All-Pro selection, and he won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks.
At 9-4-1, the Seahawks have clinched an NFC West title and next have a Week 16 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals (5-8-1) at CenturyLink Field. Seattle’s defense is still one of the best in the league, but it has missed the presence of Thomas and will continue to — perhaps for good.
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