RENTON, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas was asked Tuesday when he got over thoughts of retirement and decided he wanted to resume his career after breaking his leg in Week 13 of last season.

"I couldn't tell you exactly at what point," Thomas said. "It was a little bit of everything. I just felt like it wasn't time. I saw Eric Berry get that huge deal. There's never enough of that. So just a lot of things that made me come back."

In February, Berry and the Kansas City Chiefs agreed to terms on a new six-year, $78 million deal with $40 million guaranteed.

Thomas is not in line for a new contract yet, but he could be next offseason. He signed a four-year, $40 million deal extension in 2014 that runs through 2018.

Coming off a tibia fracture in his left leg, Thomas is ahead of schedule in his rehab. He opted to not have surgery in the offseason, participated in Tuesday's minicamp session and estimates that he's at 80 percent.

"When I'm out there doing DB drills, it's an up and down process," Thomas said. "Some days, I leave the facility pissed off because when you don't get any action, I'm like, 'Damn, I'm slipping.' But other days I leave here like a big kid."

Added Pete Carroll, "If this is 80 percent, he's going to be flying when he comes back to camp. He's doing way beyond what we thought he could be."

Thomas said he has no doubts that he'll be ready for the first game of the regular season.

Carroll indicated that Thomas is positioned to be full go for training camp, but the team may play it safe with him.

"I do anticipate that he'll be able to," Carroll said. "I don't know that we'll do that with him. We'll make sure to work our way into it. But there's nothing showing that he can't. So we'll just make sure that he's in really good shape and not pressing early because there's no reason to. But I can't imagine he won't be in great physical condition and mental condition to really take this on."

The Seahawks' defense struggled mightily down the stretch last year. Without Thomas on the field, Seattle gave up 12 touchdowns with one interception, and opposing quarterbacks posted a passer rating of 100.3.

"It was very tough," Thomas said. "You've got your guys out there that you worked so hard with and when you see them not having success like that, you don't want to say you feel sorry for them. You're just pissed off that you can't be out there to help out. I don't know if I would have changed anything, but it just sucks."