According to Jason La Canfora, a number of Texans players expressed their displeasure with Houston’s reported interest in S Earl Thomas last week.
The negative reaction from those players ultimately convinced HC Bill O’Brien to cancel Thomas’ visit and not to sign the veteran, per La Canfora.
Thomas’ reputation in the locker room has tanked the past few seasons after an ugly divorce with the Seahawks and lasting just a year with the Ravens before being cut.
La Canfora reports Thomas was a topic of discussion between the Texans and Ravens during pregame warmups in Week 2, so Houston’s players likely have more details even than those that were reported, including Thomas’ lone-wolf attitude, being regularly late to meetings and unprepared in practice and finally punching fellow S Chuck Clark.
Despite the Texans’ need at safety, La Canfora says the overtly-negative reaction from the players made signing Thomas untenable for the team. It’s safe to guess Thomas’ reputation is the biggest thing keeping him from a job right now.
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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