Maybe Pete Carroll can somehow pull this off – keep navigating a disgruntled Earl Thomas through his contractual unhappiness all week, ride out the occasional waves of rebellion and then reap the rewards on Sundays.
If so, it would be one of the crowning achievements of his coaching career. But it’s a strategy fraught with danger, and one that doesn’t seem destined to end well.
Oh, the Seahawks appear more confident than ever that they can extract the most out of Thomas on a week-by-week basis. The popular wisdom has been that they need an “either-or” exit strategy from the Earl drama – pay him or trade him.