When Earl Thomas broke his left tibia attempting to break up a pass against the Carolina Panthers in Week 13 of the 2016 NFL season, he was so devastated that he posted thoughts of retirement to his Twitter account.

This game has been so good to me no regrets.. A lot is running through my mind including retirement thanks for all the prayers.

— Earl Thomas (@Earl_Thomas) December 5, 2016

Perhaps the daunting prospect of 12 to 16 weeks of rehab was simply too much to think about. Perhaps Thomas’s first major injury in seven seasons in the NFL had shaken him up. Clearly, the emotions were fresh as Thomas realized he wouldn’t be riding along with his Seattle Seahawks teammates as they entered another playoff run, and his absence would be felt almost immediately. After defeating the Detroit Lions on Wild Card Weekend, the Seahawks’ secondary was torn up by the Atlanta Falcons to the tune of 36 points, en route to a 36-20 victory.

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Thomas quickly backtracked his statements about retirement, and judging by the video he recently posted to his Instagram account, he’s been grinding through his rehab like a champ. He can be seen running on an anti-gravity treadmill, the first time he’s been able to run since he suffered the injury three months ago. This puts Thomas squarely on track to be ready for the Seahawks’ 2017 opener in September, and makes his words about returning even more powerful.

“I’m coming back to prove I’m the best,” Thomas told ESPN. “I’m coming back to help my team win a championship.”

Getting back on his feet and going for a jog is a huge step toward that goal.

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