Florida State's Matthew Thomas to miss another 3-4 months after shoulder surgery

Florida State will be without linebacker Matthew Thomas longer than previously expected.

Head coach Jimbo Fisher said Tuesday that Thomas will be sidelined for another three-to-four months as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery and will likely only play half the season.

Thomas injured his shoulder as a true freshman in 2013, leading to a medical redshirt. He was suspended by the NCAA for the first half of 2014 and battled through several injuries upon his return.

The loss of Thomas for another few months hurts FSU's linebacker depth, as last season's leading tackler, Reggie Northrup, is still recovering from ACL surgery and Terrance Smith was limited during the spring with turf toe. Smith is expected to be back for the start of the season, though.