According to Aaron Wilson, former Ravens S Earl Thomas has officially filed a grievance against Baltimore for his release.
Thomas was still due $10 million in a guaranteed base salary this year but the Ravens voided that by releasing him for conduct detrimental to the team following his fight with teammate Chuck Clark.
Thomas is contesting that and arguing the Ravens still owe him the full $10 million. Baltimore will likely try to use Thomas’ record of being late to meetings to prove a pattern of detrimental behavior, as the team never actually suspended him for conduct detrimental. In the meantime, a $4 million placeholder charge will be levied on the Ravens’ cap.
The veteran safety remains a free agent despite it being almost two months since he was cut. He was on the verge of signing with the Texans but his reputation after his stint with the Ravens is apparently so toxic that players in Houston revolted and convinced management to cancel his workout.
Thomas, 31, is a former first-round pick of the Seahawks back in 2010. He played out the final year of his five-year, $44.725 million contract that includes $27.725 million guaranteed and made a base salary of $8.5 million for the 2018 season.
Thomas later agreed to a four-year, $55 million contract with the Ravens last year that includes $32 million fully guaranteed at signing. However, he was cut after just one season after punching a teammate during practice.
In 2019, Thomas appeared in 15 games for the Ravens and recorded 49 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble, a recovery and four passes defended.
We have him included in our Top 100 Available 2020 Free Agents list.
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