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Seahawks’ Earl Thomas has dislocated shoulder

By CM Towle

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Seattle Seahawks safety and defensive star Earl Thomas has been diagnosed with a dislocated shoulder, but expects to play in the Super Bowl.

Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas went out in the first half during the NFC Championship on Sunday after jamming his shoulder on a tackle. He briefly went to the locker room, but returned near the end of the half with a heavy shoulder brace.

After the game, it was revealed that his shoulder was popped out and then popped back into place by trainers.

On Monday morning, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Thomas officially has a dislocated shoulder.

Thomas said Sunday after the game that he intends to play in the Super Bowl no matter what. Fellow defensive back Richard Sherman said the same thing, despite the fact that he could barely move his arm after Sunday’s game. X-rays on Sherman’s elbow came back negative, but he and Thomas were scheduled to have MRIs on Monday.

Sherman appeared to have injured his elbow as it was pinned between Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor and Packers running back James Starks. Speculation on Twitter had it being anything from a hyper-extended elbow to a good whack on the funny bone.

NFL Insider Ian Rapoport said that Sherman may have suffered ulnar nerve damage, though it’s not clear where he got that information. It’s a good guess though, because it doesn’t show up on X-rays and symptoms include limited range of motion and feeling in the hand and forearm, something Sherman was clearly displaying after the hit.

He mentioned after the game that he wasn’t sure if he could raise his arm to defend a pass.

When Thomas went out in the NFC Championship game, backup DeShawn Shead replaced him. It’s difficult to say how well Shead did in Thomas’s stead as the Seahawks were generally playing so badly at that point. However, Thomas’s play on the field is only part of the equation for the Seahawks. He’s largely regarded as the defensive leader and captain, so his absence would undoubtedly affect the team in more ways than one.

The good thing for both Seahawks is that they have two weeks to recover for the Super Bowl. It’s definitely something to keep an eye on though, as Sherman and Thomas are huge parts of the Seahawks defense. Not having them fully healthy and ready to go against the Patriots and Tom Brady could be a recipe for disaster.

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