Andy Reid returns to Eagles a day after funeral for his 29-year-old son

Coach Andy Reid returned to the Philadelphia Eagles a day after his 29-year-old son’s funeral, saying it’s “the right thing to do.”

Garrett Reid, the oldest of five children of Andy and Tammy Reid, was found dead Sunday morning in his dorm room at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., where he was assisting the team’s strength and conditioning coach during training camp.

Andy Reid was back on the sideline for a walkthrough Wednesday and plans to coach the preseason opener against Pittsburgh on Thursday night.

“You feel the strength of the team,” Reid said when asked why he came back so soon. “I felt it with my family the past couple of days, and I feel it with the team. I’m a football coach, that’s what I do, and I know my son wouldn’t want it any other way. I can’t put it to you any more frank than that. He loved the Philadelphia Eagles. I know what he would want me to do.”

More than 900 people, including NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, general managers and coaches from other teams and current and former players, attended the funeral service Tuesday.

“I’m a very humble man standing before you, a very humble man,” Reid said. “I’m humble because of the outpouring [of support] not only from the media but from our football team and the fans. It was unbelievable. I’m not sure you ever think that many people care. A very humbling feeling. I know my son would feel the same way. I think that’s all I can say on that part and keep it all together.”

Garrett Reid was a recovering drug addict who had seemingly turned his life around. But his father indicated that his son may have had a relapse. An official cause of death hasn’t been determined yet.

“It’s a sad situation and it’s one that my son has been battling for a number of years,” Reid said. “Our family has been battling. It doesn’t mean you stop loving your son, because that’s not what you do. You love him and a lot of families deal with this type of thing. It’s a sad situation. Whatever trials and tribulations he had here, he’s in a better place.”

T.O. practices

Terrell Owens completed his first practice back in the NFL as a member of the Seattle Seahawks, a workout that featured some impressive catches and getting slammed to the turf by a new teammate.

Owens spoke before a huge throng of media following practice in Renton, Wash. Owens says he’s changed a lot in the last two years since his last NFL stop with Cincinnati. Owens spent the 2011 season out of the NFL and signed with Seattle after a tryout Monday.

“It’s all about for me now being part of something rather than being the center of something. I understand a lot of the media is here because of me and again, I have changed in a lot of ways,” Owens said. “A lot of things have occurred in the last two years and I’ve had a lot of time to think about things and put things in perspective and I just want to move forward and leave all the things that happened five to 10 years ago behind me. That’s where I am mentally.”

Richardson is hurting

Trent Richardson’s ailing left knee may be more seriously injured than the Cleveland Browns thought.

The team issued a one-sentence statement saying that the running back, picked No. 3 overall in April’s draft, will see a specialist Thursday.

The statement said: “Trent Richardson is traveling to Pensacola, Fla., where he will have his left knee further evaluated by Dr. James Andrews.”

Richardson had arthroscopic surgery on the knee Feb. 3, which caused him to miss some portions of the NFL combine before the draft.

Raiders relieved about Goodson

The Oakland Raiders are relieved running back Mike Goodson’s neck injury isn’t too serious. When they get him back on the field remains to be seen.

Goodson sat out of practice Wednesday with lingering soreness, a day after being hospitalized with a neck injury following a scary training camp hit in Napa, Calif.

“We care about all of these guys,” Coach Dennis Allen said. “Nobody wants to see anybody get hurt, especially something as serious as a neck injury. The fact that everything came back fine was obviously very relieving to all of us.”

Allen said he didn’t know when Goodson would be back but did not anticipate it taking as long as a few weeks.

Goodson was taken away from practice Tuesday by ambulance with a possible neck injury after an on-field collision with teammate Philip Wheeler.

Thomas needs time

New York Giants cornerback Terrell Thomas said he expects to return to the field in three to eight weeks after reinjuring his surgically repaired right knee.

“I think that this was just a minor scare more than anything,” Thomas said after having his knee examined by a third doctor. “You just got to give it time. Let it heal.”

Thomas, 27, missed the Giants’ run to a Super Bowl title last season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in a preseason game. When he hurt his knee in a July 30 practice, tests showed he didn’t tear the ACL again.

“Aggravated, that’s the best way to put it,” Thomas said.