Thomas Rawls resumes starting role in Seahawks’ backfield

RENTON – After backing up Christine Michael in the Seahawks’ regular-season opener, Thomas Rawls will be their starting tailback Sunday against Los Angeles. That decision, which coach Pete Carroll announced Wednesday, isn’t a reflection of anything that happened last week so much as it a matter of Rawls resuming his lead role now that he has another game – an actual game – under his belt following offseason ankle surgery.

Giving Michael the start in the opener was partly about rewarding him for the way he’s rededicated himself since rejoining the team late last season and also about Seattle wanting to ease Rawls back into action. After all, he didn’t resume practicing until after the start of training camp and played all of two plays in the preseason.

“He’s always been our starter,” offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said Wednesday when asked about the switch from Michael to Rawls. “He was our starter last year and C-Mike’s done a great job for us. I don’t think in any way do we need to minimize what he’s done because he’s done a phenomenal job. He’ll still get an opportunity to carry the ball but Thomas has been our guy.

“You could see it in the game. It was good to have him back. He’s a physical runner, he’s got the style that we look for, the tenacity that we look for. He kind of embodies who we want to me. He looked healthy, and as long as he’s healthy, he’s that guy.”

Michael was on the field for 52 of Seattle’s 82 offensive plays Sunday and gained 66 yards on 15 carries. Rawls got 22 plays after entering the game on Seattle’s second possession, carrying 12 times for 32 yards in all. On his second carry, he lowered his shoulder into a mass of defenders for a 6-yard gain then got up hopping around in excitement.

“It felt amazing,” he said of playing again. “As you guys can tell when I’m out there, I’m so energized up, I’ve got a lot of energy, I get very excited even if it’s just a 2-yard run. I’m excited to be out there just giving my energy to my team, but it did feel good to get back out there and get that contact.”

Rawls said he didn’t feel like he had to knock off any rust Sunday nor did he “think for a second” about his ankle, which he had surgically repaired after it fractured and sustained ligament damage in a game against Baltimore last December. That injury cut short a rookie season in which Rawls was leading the league in yards per carry and approaching 1,000 yards rushing despite not starting six of the first nine games.

When it happened, Rawls recalled, he entered an unknown situation.

“I wasn’t sure when I would get back, I wasn’t sure if I would get back out there ever again,” he said. “But I worked hard and I pushed towards it and this offseason went great for me. This organization and this whole team took care of me. We have some amazing trainers in that training room and I was excited, I’ve been pushing. The offseason was hard, and look where I’m at today. I’m starting the game. I’m excited about it.”