Seahawks Notebook: Thomas ruled out against Buccaneers

Published 1:30 am Friday, November 25, 2016

Gregg Bell

The News Tribune

RENTON — One travel item that’s been on every Seahawks trip for the last six years apparently didn’t make this weekend’s one to Tampa.

Earl Thomas’ helmet.

Earlier this week Pete Carroll said what the Seahawks would do if they had to protect notoriously intense Thomas from trying to play on a strained hamstring.

“We won’t give him his helmet,” Carroll said Wednesday, “because he might go out and play.”

Friday, the team ruled Thomas out for Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay. So the three-time All-Pro free safety’s streak of 106 consecutive starts, a Seahawks record for a defensive player.

Carroll met with the team’s medical staff following practice. They made the determination just before the Seahawks (7-2-1) took off on their flight to Florida.

Steven Terrell is ready to make the first start of his four-year career against recently Tampa Bay’s hot Jameis Winston. The second-year quarterback has 12 touchdowns and two interceptions over Tampa Bay’s last six games. That includes the Bucs’ upset win at Kansas City last weekend.

Including playoffs, Thomas had started 118 consecutive games since the Seahawks drafted him 14th overall in 2010.

Something will be missing without Thomas in the middle of the Seattle secondary. Winston undoubtedly will test Terrell to see how the Seahawks are without perhaps the best free safety is football.

Asked Wednesday if he can imagine what he’s now going to have to do on Sunday in Tampa, play without Thomas on defense for the first time, Seahawks middle linebacker Bobby Wagner said: “I cannot.”

“It’s strange. Especially a guy like that. He’s always talking,” Wagner said. “He’s always trying to alert you to things. That’s why it’s kind of like something’s missing.”

Thomas was running in coverage with teammate Richard Sherman in the third quarter of last weekend’s win over Philadelphia when he grabbed the back of his left leg. He left the game after the play, on which Sherman intercepted Carson Wentz.

Terrell replaced Thomas for the final 1½ quarters of that game.

Carroll had said earlier in the week Thomas and starting cornerback DeShawn Shead had similar hamstring injuries that normally take 10-14 days to heal.

The Seahawks list Shead as questionable. But Carroll sounded more positive than that.

“I watched his workout and he had an extraordinary workout (Friday),” Carroll said after the outdoor practice. “He’s as close as you can get. We’ll see what happens. He’ll go all the way to game day.”

If he can’t start, nickel back Jeremy Lane would start at cornerback with Neiko Thorpe likely to play there when Lane moves back inside to nickel on passing downs.

That’s the arrangement the Seahawks used for the final three quarters of last week’s game after Shead’s hamstring pained him.

Hunt may start for Britt at center

The Seahawks’ newest injury concern could affect their recently improved offensive line.

Rookie Joey Hunt was preparing for his first career start at center because Justin Britt hasn’t practiced all week. Carroll said Britt sprained his ankle in the win over the Eagles and will also be a game-time decision. Britt will dress, the coach said, and would be Hunt’s backup in Tampa if the three-year veteran isn’t healthy enough to start.

The Seahawks currently have only those two as centers on the roster.

“Joey has been getting all the work this week,” Carroll said. “He’s ready to go if we need him.”

The Seahawks drafted Hunt in the sixth round, 215 th overall, this spring out of Texas Christian. He made 34 starts at TCU snapping to Trevone Boykin, Seattle’s undrafted rookie backup to quarterback Russell Wilson.

“Joey’s a really smart football player; that was one of the reasons we were excited to see him when we got him,” Carroll said. “He’s always on his game. He’s a natural center in that he understands the position. He’s just been a really good player with a lot of background at it. He’s never had a problem doing anything we’ve asked him to do.

“If Joey does end up playing this week, I feel like we don’t have to change anything or adapt anything. It’s all the same communication. And we’ll get a guy playing his butt off to help his teammates.”