DENVER – Earl Thomas spoke to the media Sunday after the Seattle Seahawks’ 27-24 loss to the Denver Broncos, his first public comments since returning from his holdout amid a contract dispute.



Thomas said he made the decision to come back because he couldn’t see giving up his game checks.



“Me and my agent talked about it,” Thomas said. “We understood that I had a lot of money on the line. I couldn’t just throw it away. So basically I decided to come back. I’m glad I did.”



Thomas returned last Wednesday, and made an immediate impact in Sunday’s game when he picked off a Case Keenum pass in the first quarter that led to a quick Seahawks touchdown.



“I basically just stayed with it, read the QB, he stared the target down and I kind of jumped in front of it and thought I had a pick-6,” he said. “I haven’t had one like that in a minute.”



Thomas said he’s working on putting the holdout behind him.



“I’m gonna try to do the best I can,” he said. “Try to work my way through it. I've got a great team behind me.”



Asked if he wants to remain a Seahawk, Thomas said “if they want me, yeah,” and said it’s challenging to put the situation completely out of his mind.



“During the game, I’m not thinking about it,” he said. "I’m out there having fun with … the guys, so yeah, I’m not thinking about it in the game. But when I get asked about it constantly, it definitely crossed my mind.



“The guys, they welcomed me back with open arms. It was a smooth process. The coaching staff gave me my space to get through it. It was just a learning curve, trying to pick up on the new stuff.”