Rodney Thomas II was a solid starter for the Indianapolis Colts in his first two seasons in the NFL, which was somewhat surprising because he was a seventh-round pick in 2022 after playing at Yale. Many likely thought he could help on special teams, but not necessarily the defense right away.
By his third season, though, the team had lost faith in him as a starter, and he saw his defensive reps drop from 82 percent in 2023 to just nine percent in 2024. Last season, he played just 13 percent of snaps. But the first part of 2026 might look far different, though Thomas had to go to a new team for that to happen.
Thomas wasn't re-signed in free agency, but landed with the Seattle Seahawks, last season's Super Bowl winner. The safety was hoping to vie for a spot as a backup and maybe a special teams contributor, and he had a solid training camp, if not a spectacular one. He caught an unexpected break when starter Nick Emmanwori had ankle surgery in July and missed all of camp and the preseason.
Fomer Indinapolis Colts safety might have a real chance to shine for the Seattle Seahawks
Entering Week 1, when Seattle takes on the New England Patriots, Emmanwori's status is unknown. Seattle also lost rookie Bud Clark to an ankle injury for the season, so even before the season, head coach Mike Macdonald's team's depth is being challenged.
This will likely force Thomas into the third safety role, and in Macdonald's system, three safeties are on the field a lot. What the former Indianapolis Colts player will be tasked with is playing well deep in coverage, while fellow safety Julian Love plays a bit more of the Emmanwori role, which means he will play in the slot and closer to the line of scrimmage.
Indy fans know well that while Thomas can be solid in coverage, he is far from the best player in the league. In his first two years with the Colts, he allowed seven interceptions, though he did have six interceptions. His passer rating allowed was 95.5, which isn't awful but isn't great either.
The reason that Indianapolis decided to go in a different direction than starting Thomas was that Nick Cross, who also left in free agency this past offseason, was better against the run. That is an area where Thomas struggles, and the Seahawks are unlikely to trust him in the Emmanwori role because of it.
Ultimately, Thomas is not the long-term answer to the third safety for the Seahawks, just as he wasn't with the Colts, but the player could be auditioning for his next team, one that gives him a better chance to start, early in the 2026 season. If he plays well, he could land with a different team in 2027, but for all the right reasons.
Add us as a preferred source on Google