The Indianapolis Colts spent the offseason trying to reshape the middle of their defense, and one of the names they pushed out the door is already making them think twice.
Rodney Thomas II, who went from starting for the Colts in his first two seasons to barely appearing on defense over his last two, signed with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency. He didn’t initially make Seattle’s active roster and was brought back to the practice squad, but that move ended up mattering in a big way when injuries forced him into action in Week 1 against the New England Patriots.
Thomas delivered exactly the kind of outing Indianapolis seemed to believe he could no longer provide. In 70 snaps, he finished with four tackles and no misses, allowed two completions on three targets for just nine yards, and broke up a deep pass that led directly to an interception. He also chipped in a run stuff.
For Seattle, it was the kind of performance that can swing a game. If Thomas doesn’t play at that level, there’s a real chance the Seahawks start the season with a loss.
What stood out wasn’t just the stat line, either. Thomas showed the physical edge against the run and the coverage range that the Colts appeared to doubt.
He has always been a sharp player - he went to Yale, after all - but the question was whether he could hold up physically. He answered that by never missing a game.
During the two seasons Indianapolis trusted him as a starter, Thomas picked off six passes. He also allowed seven touchdowns, which isn’t ideal, but it’s not a disastrous tradeoff either.
Chris Ballard and the Colts chose this offseason to get younger and more athletic, even if that meant moving on from Thomas, Nick Cross and Zaire Franklin. Franklin is the older of the group, but Thomas is still just 28, and he could have helped Indianapolis on special teams while also serving as a reliable backup behind rookie safeties AJ Haulcy and Hunter Wohler, neither of whom had taken a regular-season snap before this year.
He also wouldn’t have been expensive.
Instead, Thomas is in Seattle, and unless the Seahawks decide to move on from him on the active roster or practice squad, he’ll likely keep helping them win. For the Colts, it’s just a reminder of the player they let get away.
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