Earl Thomas’s worst fear became reality on Sunday and he let the Seattle Seahawks know his displeasure after suffering what could be a season-ending leg injury.
Thomas was playing for Seattle despite a contract dispute over the final year of his contract with the Seahawks. He had held out the entire preseason and even practice this week, though he had been playing in regular season games.
On Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, though, Thomas hurt his leg during the third quarter on a play where the Cardinals scored a touchdown to tie the game. Thomas was carted off the field with his leg in an air cast, and after the game Seahawks coach Pete Carroll confirmed that he had fractured his leg. Thomas, though, did not appear to be on good terms with the Seahawks after the injury.
Why Earl Thomas held out. What he feared. Carted off the same field where Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman ended their #Seahawks careers with injuries last November. https://t.co/KBqd6Xi3GV
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) September 30, 2018
As ESPN explains, Thomas had held out because he wanted to protect his health as he tried to get a new contract. But Seattle seemed to rather want to trade Thomas, letting him speak frankly about the matter and why he was holding out.
Thomas has voiced his displeasure over his contract, which is in its final year and includes an $8.5 million salary. After reporting to the team on the Wednesday before Seattle’s opener, Thomas said he determined that he had too much money to lose — $500,000 in weekly game checks — if he were to continue his holdout into the regular season.
After intercepting his second and third passes of the season in Seattle’s win over the Dallas Cowboys last week, Thomas told reporters that he had sat out practice the week before in an attempt to protect himself as he continues to seek a new deal. Thomas’ absences in practice the Wednesday and Friday of that week were listed as non injury-related.
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Thomas is definitely not getting a contract from Seattle now and the Seahawks won’t be trading his services for usable assets, so no one is happy here. But it’s yet another example of NFL players being publicly combative about their tenuous state of being in a world without guaranteed contracts. Thomas knew his worth on the open market and knew a Seahawks team unwilling to pay him that rate is not looking out for his best interests, but rather their own.
In a year full of business decisions from management and players alike, this is one where neither side comes out on top. But it’s clear now an inevitable separation is coming for the parties. It’s just going to be a bit more clear on the injury list, I suppose.
