Seahawks activate Earl Thomas, who’s expected to play vs. Broncos

It’s official, Earl Thomas is back.

The Seattle Seahawks announced on Saturday that the superstar, future hall-of-fame safety has been activated to the 53-man roster just in time for the team’s season opener against the Denver Broncos. Thomas ended his contract holdout on Wednesday, and returned to practice after all of the offseason drama and trade rumors.

This obviously paves the way for Thomas to play on Sunday. Pete Carroll said on Friday that the decision to start Thomas would be a game-day decision, but indications are that he will suit up and provide a big boost to an already undermanned Seahawks defense, specifically in the secondary. Seattle will most likely be starting rookie CB Tre Flowers, following new that Dontae Johnson has been put on injured reserve with a groin strain, so Thomas being there to provide his elite sideline-to-sideline range is even more important than usual.

You don’t need me to tell you that this is terrific news for the Seahawks defense and the team as a whole. Unlike the Kam Chancellor holdout, Thomas isn’t missing the first two games of the season, and we can all rejoice.