Why Rodney Thomas II Signed With Seahawks in Free Agency

The Seattle Seahawks officially inked former Indianapolis Colts safety Rodney Thomas II to his one-year deal on Monday, adding needed depth to the team's secondary after losing Coby Bryant in free agency.

Thomas, at least for now, is projected to be the Seahawks' third safety, as former undrafted free agent Ty Okada is expected to step into a starting role next to Julian Love. And the team seems to have gotten a perfect fit for Mike Macdonald's defense.

Although he's only started one game since the end of 2023, Thomas was a consistent ball hawk in his first two NFL seasons, with six interceptions. In an interview with Seahawks.com's Ari Horton, Thomas highlighted the Seahawks' defensive "brotherhood" as a major pull to signing with the team.

Thomas wanted to be part of cohesive unit

"It just speaks volumes on the tape," Thomas said of the Seahawks' camaraderie on the field. "Just something I want to be a part of, something that I'm used to, just guys pulling for one another, just laying it on the line for the guy besides you. It's a part of the program I want to be part of."

Whether due to a lack of geographical interest or a lack of pursuit by general manager John Schneider, the Seahawks' Super Bowl LX victory didn't bring in any big-name players in the first portion of free agency.

Schneider has also voiced his opinion on the potential 9.9% "millionaire tax" and its potential impacts on attracting free agents. If signed into law, that would go into effect in 2028.

But Thomas, while not a big-name replacement, is looking to be part of a winning program that celebrates its team success.

Nov 9, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (0) celebrates with Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (42) after recovering a fumble to score a touchdown during the second quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Lumen Field. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

"You could just see every time someone makes a play, if you just turn it on randomly, you'll see everybody celebrating, you can't tell who made the play because everybody's that excited for the guy beside them," Thomas added on the Seahawks' defense.

Thomas played in all 17 games for the Colts in 2025, totaling 21 tackles and one tackle for loss. However, he only played 150 defensive snaps (13% of the team's total) after being a starter from 2022-23.

The Seahawks also re-signed safeties AJ Finley and D'Anthony Bell as competition for the third safety spot, giving the team plenty of options behind Love and Okada.

— Enjoy free coverage of the Super Bowl champions from Seattle Seahawks On SI —

Sign Up For the Seahawks Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Seattle Seahawks Newsletter