Well, at least the Seattle Seahawks' front office unofficially thinks of Earl Thomas as dead to them after Sunday's game.
Thomas, the Seahawks six-time Pro Bowl and three-time All Pro free safety, decided to report just days before Seattle’s season opener against the Denver Broncos. Thomas, 29, was holding out until the Seahawks either restructured his contract, or traded him.
The Seahawks are paying Thomas a base salary of $8.5 million, and an additional $1.9 million in signing bonus, for a total 2018 dead cap hit of $10.4 million. Thomas ranks only behind New England’s Devin McCourty, and the Los Angeles Rams’ LaMarcus Joyner for total salary for a free safety in the league. He is not even the highest paid player on his own defense.
As the Seahawks started 1-2 early on, everyone knows they are not going to catch the Rams in the NFC West. Hell, no one in the NFC is likely going to catch the Rams in 2018 (much to the delight of this life-long Rams fan).
Thomas missed the final month of the 2016 season, breaking his leg after colliding with teammate Kam Chancellor. That 2016 campaign would be to date the only one where Thomas has not made the Pro Bowl. That is, until Week 4 of the 2018 NFL slate came around.
Thomas again appeared to break the same leg in the fourth quarter on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. A non-contact injury is sometimes even more devastating than a contact one, and some of the more gruesome have been a direct result of not being able to move properly when a player’s cleats dig into the turf.
Coming in behind on a play where Arizona would tie the game at 17, Thomas’ leg buckled while planting into the endzone turf, as David Johnson had just broke on his route, catching a touchdown from rookie quarterback Josh Rosen. The training staff for the Seahawks tried to stabilize the leg, while many of his teammates took a knee, praying the leg was not broken.
Thomas shook the hands and hugged the players from both sides that wished him well after being placed on the medical cart.
Then proceeded to flip off the rest of his teammates as the cart drove off the field.
Baldwin almost jokingly flipped off offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell in a 2016 contest, after catching a touchdown of all things.
I highly doubt with the drama hovering over Thomas the past few months that his gesture was as sarcastic as Baldwin’s, and more meant as “This is the last time you’ll see me in this uniform.” There is no way you should see Seattle extending Thomas' contract after two major leg injuries in three years.
There was no smile on his face, and the only words he was saying as the cart pulled away were towards players on the Cardinal bench. He did not mouth anything towards his own sideline, across the field, and did not nod approval, or smile. Granted, he had just given up the game-tying score, and was eventually bailed by a last-minute field goal to give Seattle a 20-17 win.
Thomas became an even bigger story earlier Sunday morning, when a report surfaced that he could be traded straight-up for Pittsburgh running back Le'veon Bell, who is in the middle of his own contract dispute. Bell still has not reported to the Steelers, despite claiming himself on social media that he would suit up in Pittsburgh in 2018.
Thomas has no idea how lucky he is. He plays in 2019 after surgery likely later this week. If I flip off the staff I work with, I do not have the luxury of being selective of who wants to bring me onto their staff next, as I will not be fielding offers from 31 other suitors.
-JC24