SEATTLE -- Free safety Earl Thomas said he was "screaming my butt off" watching the end of Sunday's game on television. He wasn't on the field as the Seattle Seahawks closed out their wild victory over the Houston Texans, having left with an injury with just under five minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Thomas pulled up lame and grabbed his right hamstring while giving chase on DeAndre Hopkins' 72-yard touchdown and didn't return to the game.

"He couldn't go," coach Pete Carroll said. "He would have, if we didn't stop him."

ESPN's Josina Anderson reported that Thomas is getting an MRI. Carroll answered in the affirmative when asked if there's some concern about Thomas' availability for next week's game against the Washington Redskins.

Thomas said the injury isn't as severe as the one he suffered to his left hamstring in November of last season, which caused him to miss the first start of his career the following week.

"So that's a good thing," Thomas said of this injury not being as bad as the last one, "and I tried to go back in the game, but my coaches, they told me I had to shut it down."

Bradley McDougald finished the game for Thomas. Seattle signed McDougald to a one-year deal in free agency figuring his starting experience from his time in Tampa Bay would give the Seahawks the insurance at free safety they didn't have when Thomas broke his leg last season. They may need it now, depending on the severity of Thomas' injury.