Feb 2, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker (83) runs against Seattle Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas (29) during the second half in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim O
With Golden Tate skipping out of town to play with the Detroit Lions, the Seattle Seahawks needed to find someone to replace his role as the team’s punt returner. They needed to find some wide receiver help as well, but Tate also served the role as a punt returner.
If the season were to start today, the team would use S Earl Thomas in that role. The season is far from starting though and the team will likely use someone else in that role. Thomas is a valuable part of the defense and Pete Carroll might not want to risk his star safety in that role. The other candidates for the job are other star players on the team though. Richard Sherman and Percy Harvin are other options that could be used in the punt return role. The only role player that was mentioned to fill that role is WR Bryan Walters.
Unless someone else is able to step up for the punt return duties, then the team could be using one of their stars in the punt return role. It could be interesting to see how they fill that spot.