Earl Thomas returns to practice, shrugs off "demons"

Seahawks safety Earl Thomas took part in the practice today for the first time since having shoulder surgery in February, wearing a red no-contact jersey but working nonetheless. It's a step in the right direction for Thomas, whose goal is still to play in Week 1's matchup with the Rams.

Here's a quick bit of video from Gregg Bell showing Thomas in warmups:

Thomas spoke after practice about how difficult his rehab has been, and said that being on the sidelines created a few "demons" within.

"It's been very tough. A lot of negative thoughts in my mind. You know, I was debating if I still loved it at one point, but being out here today, it reassured me that I loved it. I just need to be out here. I just need to be involved."

"As soon as I got around my teammates," he said, when asked how quickly he came around. "As soon as I got back on the field. Today was the perfect example for me. I felt like a little kid again just running around there. It felt good."

As for standing on the sidelines? "It was very tough, because I was trying to be happy for [my teammates], but I was fighting demons in my head," Thomas said. "So like I said, it just felt good to be back out here today."

Watch his post-practice presser here.