Thomas' unhappiness is simple: Seahawks have taken hard-line stance on new deal since Feb. The franchise has prioritized contracts for DE Frank Clark & WR/KR Tyler Lockett (done). Thomas in last season of 4-year $40 million deal, his second contract since he was a 1st rd pick.
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) September 23, 2018
So there we have it. It appears, after all, Earl Thomas pulled himself out of practise twice this week. No ‘veteran rest days’. And no suggestion in this report of a personal issue he was dealing with (unless you count his wallet being insufficiently stuffed).
It seems it was a powerplay all along.
The saga painfully continues.
Here’s the issue. If the Seahawks trade Thomas after stunts like this, it opens the door for others to do the same. After all, it would’ve worked for Thomas. He got what he wanted. Yet what is the alternative? Deal with an ongoing distraction and get nothing for Thomas in the off-season? Put pride and making a point ahead of vital draft stock?
They have no easy win here. Unless someone comes up with a fantastic trade offer — which seems unlikely given teams will be fully aware of the difficult situation facing Seattle.
The link to the Chiefs feels like a plant. It reads like the Seahawks trying to create a market that has seemingly only ever involved one team — Dallas.
One can only hope Seattle’s defiant or stubborn approach (pick which one you prefer) pays off. If they really did turn down a second round pick from the Cowboys, you wonder if they’ll regret that in the future.
The holdout was one thing. Pulling yourself out of practise and creating a distraction days before a vital game against Dallas is a totally different thing altogether. It’s not a good look. At all.
Nobody has stepped up to trade for Thomas and pay him. So he has to play the cards he’s been dealt. One more year in Seattle on a decent not exceptional contract.
He can do what he wants in that time. Hold out again. Not practise. Whatever. It won’t change anything. Not this late in the day. I suspect few will remain sympathetic to his cause after this latest move, however. And why should they?
This isn’t about supporting ‘the man’ against Earl Thomas. We all respect Thomas’ desire to get a long term contract. It’s understandable. But sometimes in life you don’t get what you want. And most people can’t fall back on their millions and the security of more millions to come when they’re unhappy at work.
***Update***
“As one agent put it to me, he’s 'holding in'… If you’re looking for a safety, call the Seattle Seahawks.”
– @JayGlazer updates the Earl Thomas situation pic.twitter.com/ShMk2IS3zV
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 23, 2018
I am tired of this. Seems no easy way out.
I think we all are.
Boring, frustrating, tiresome. And a further blotch on what is already becoming another unenjoyable season.
Shouldn’t the Cowboys be fined by the League for tampering with Earl Thomas saying he was about to traded to the Cowboys?
To be fair it sounds like they were joking. And I like jokes, so I’m not going to go down the road of hoping for fines.
Ok, I was wondering where the line was supposed to be drawn.
Been tired of the Earl situation for months. The easy way out is to freaking trade him. What the hell are JS/PC doing. They cut Sherm and traded Bennett for peanuts to rid themselves of ‘headaches’. Yet the ‘headaches’ persist. Take the third Excedrin for full relief and move on with the season.
Still holding out hope for a big time trade involving a 1st and a 3rd or a 2nd and a starting OL. However, I don’t know if the Hawks will pull the trigger on it. They seem content to send a message to Earl and the team about contract negotiations, even at the risk of just a 3rd round comp pick. This whole situation is why I really wished they would have dealt him before the draft. They were cleaning house of distractions and distracting players, but the failure to address this issue could be most costly of them all.
I wouldn’t hold out any hope for those trades. A first or a starting OL? That’s not going to happen.
And I have to say, adding yet another OL isn’t necessary. They need picks.
Agreed Rob. Adding a starting OL is a pipe dream of mine and mostly about more competition for Ifedi. The Hawks do need picks, but seem content with sending a message over gaining substantial ammo for this rebuild. Hubris perhaps over sound strategy?
Quite possibly.
Just get the best deal you can get and trade him this week. It’s time to move on.
It seems like it’s gotten personal with Pete and John. It’s an ego thing at this point and they are not going to let Earl dictate the terms
I was on the trade Earl bandwagon this offseason and this was one of the reasons why.
Per Jay Glazer, Earl practiced and quit mid way through practice. He sat down on the sidelines like a petulant child whose mom said no to getting a cookie.
http://twitter.com/NFLonFOX/status/1043897277067157504
Bench him today.
They have to.
Then trade him.
Wow, if thats the case, not much different from Percy Harvin. If he isnt benched Ill lose alot of respect for Pete, well at least whats left after last weeks debacle.
Agreed completely. Time for TT to take over.
Unbelievable how a player can shoot himself in the foot so completely.
Not coming to practice for “personal reasons” is one thing, but quitting mid practice then sitting on the bench is something else entirely. This has to stop right now! Bench him today and trade him tomorrow. I’ve wanted this trade to happen since Dec, just get it over with.
I like your one word. If all of this is true, then I can think of two words: POP WARNER. Not big league behavior at all.
Of course, if he plays hard and does well in the upcoming game, I’m back to no idea of what is going on.
Could this get worse? Better? I have wanted an extension all along, but would that work still? That too seems like a reward for bad behavior. On the field he might just pull a Randy Johnson and have a couple of his best years after departing. If the Seahawks keep him it would be better to use the franchise tag as a form of punishment. That may have ET escalate his efforts. Remember, in his mind, he is fighting the righteous battle for veterans, defensive players and especially safeties. Would he bring it on the field and let a Cowboy make a catch or run past him for a touchdown? Imagine Earl with his hands up, backing away, and then pointing to the owners box. That would be worse.
I think Rob was right when he said that turning down a second round pick was a mistake, especially if this is a lost year with no chance at the playoffs. The difference between a middle of the 1st round draft pick and a top ten is significant, and that difference carries on through the second and third round as well. Some of those pick are traded away, so maybe the front office has extra incentive to really go for it. A loss today would make a rebuild the best option, and a win will simply delay the judgement.
The frustration of this whole thing has now become a sad parting with one of the teams best ever. I’d like him and all players to get a larger percentage of earnings. But hard to defend a player after all these stunts.
I’ll give the chiefs rumor some credit. Adding ET would definitely punch their ticket to the super bowl. This would be the time to do, while their QB is still on his rookie deal. That said, hard to imagine Dallas being motivated to trade anymore. Depends on just how competitive they feel they can be. Rough start to the season.
It’s always been pretty clear when the Seahawks use the media.
That Chiefs link reeks of a Seattle plant.
Yeah, it doesn’t make any sense at all. The Chiefs are already lumbered with the highest safety contract in the league, and Berry’s likely to be back soon. If they trade Earl it’s presumably with the aim of extending him – why would they pay two elite safeties at a time when the position has been so devalued?
The only reason would be for a Chiefs Super Bowl run. ET would certainly help them in that regard. Seahawks coughed up a 2nd and a 3rd for Richardson last year with the same intentions.
If I were the Chiefs GM, I’d make the move to put my team over the top.
Wow.
The only short-term power play the hawks have is to bench him this week, which I don’t see them doing. If they dont, they lose hand with other players moving forward. Not happy?…Just sit out game-prep and play anyway. If they bench him this week, it hurts the product on the field and isn’t really respectful to the players on the field that do want to win. And it certainly doesn’t help the trade-value scenario if he’s not on the field. Yet being benched certainly doesn’t help Earl convince another team to step up and pay him top-market momey. Yikes
I’d bench him.
Rob said:
“Here’s the issue. If the Seahawks trade Thomas after stunts like this, it opens the door for others to do the same. After all, it would’ve worked for Thomas. He got what he wanted.”
What Earl wants, is a new contract. Simply trading him doesn’t necessarily guarantee that.
One could look at an Earl trade now as a “win” for him, sure. However, there could be positive benefits for the team as well, in that it emphasizes the “be all in” environment that they want to encourage.
Does the team *really* want to force guys to stay here, that so desperately want to leave?
Ultimately, the goal is to build a team such that players *want* to play here… like it was a few years ago.
What an absolute bot.
I think I’ve pretty consistently been one the most pro-player, anti-team/league, people on here, but this is just embarrassing. Thomas has always been a weird dude. He’s an all-world narcissist who isn’t getting his way, and so the toys are getting thrown out of the pram. Pretty galling when you think about Thomas complaining about Kam’s hold-out as well. The one real way I’d give him an out is if he actually does have an injury that he’s trying to manage and doesn’t really trust the Hawks staff with. Given their track record, I’m not sure I’d blame him.
Hope it doesn’t damage his legacy too much, but right now it’s hard not to think Kam and Sherman are going to be more fondly remembered in 20 years time.
Kam’s place in history is secure. He came back after the holdout and battled.
Sherman and Earl? No idea how fans will feel about them in 10 years time. I suspect most will come around eventually. But this has been a sad and disappointing last 18 months.
I don’t take issue with holdouts. They’re one of the very few options players have in a deck that’s massively stacked against them. We need a new CBA in the worst way.
This collapse has just been depressing. Not how it should have ended.
I have never, ever bought this idea that anything is stacked against the players.
Why people think this is beyond me.
Look how much the cap has grown, how much the average salaries are growing.
Nothing is stacked against them. Maybe this false narrative is what leads to this entitled attitude that legitimises holding out.
It’s a dog-eat business.
Wish we were talking about the actual game tho
I am no fan of NFL owners, and had no problem with the holdout (just business) but Earl has to go. Need to remove the distraction.
No win situation for the Hawks, just have to get what you can and move on.
I can’t see KC getting Earl. They have cap space next year to extend him, but how does Earl take any less than Berry to resign there? And why does KC need 2 highest paid safeties?
If they are not going to resign him, what do they offer for him?
I agree with Rob, this does not add up.
I just don’t want him going to Dallas. Not to spite Earl, I just hate Jerrah
it is up to the agents to get a guaranteed contract, it is also up to the players not to accept anything less. The players settled this cba, so I don’t have sympathy. Earl thinks, that Earl is more important than this team, and for that I wont forgive him.
Been tired of the Earl situation for months. The easy way out is to freaking trade him. What the hell are JS/PC doing. They cut Sherm and traded Bennett for peanuts to rid themselves of ‘headaches’. Yet the ‘headaches’ persist. Take the third Excedrin for full relief and move on with the season.
Thank you. Feel the exact same way. Pete and John deserve a ton of heat for how they’ve not only handled this, but everything else.
Teams take on the identity of their coach.
Is he trying to get hurried out the door Percy Harvin style now?
He’s jumping off a sinking ship
They should give him a shove.
Time to move on with people who want to be here.
I hear ya. Wish they would do the same to Schotty honestly.
The ole Houshmanzadeh
I really wish the Hawks would just trade him if the they do not plan to extend him. I said after he went running to the Dallas locker room while his team was still in a playoff hunt that he should never have been allowed to put on the Hawks uniform again. If got killed for that stance as an over reaction but if they had and then traded him his off season for a 2nd round pick all this crap could have been avoided.
I say if you can get a 3rd and 4th then move him ASAP and if there really is no market for him and he pulls this crap again then use him as an example and bench / fine for conduct detremental. If they want to restore the culture it is impossible with this ongoing saga during a season which is currently swirling in the toilet bowl.
I was a huge LOB fan but the end with both Sherm and now Earl has been handled terribly by all parties and it is time to turn the page and close that book once and for all.
It’s becoming simple that Earl Thomas is a cancer behind the scenes and now publicly. That’s the only logical solution based on what we know. You simply extend a generational talent at FS like him if he’s any sort of teammate and building block. Physically, both his skill set and position age well. It’s disappointing for all parties involved, that’s for sure. Us, the organization, and him. Everyone has lost.
My criticism right now is that if was this bad of a teammate, why not trade him this past off-season to get rid of all the cancers? The other four guys from 2013 are not cancers at all (Wilson, Baldwin, Wagner, Wright). If this was a “reset” year, you don’t do it with a guy who will infect the locker room when you’re trying to establish a “buy in” culture again.
Personally, this has the feel of a Jim Mora season. It’s that doom-and-gloom right now. There is no young stud Pro Bowl type talent (and, no, Griffin is not going to make a Pro Bowl over Peters or Talib of the Rams, Peterson of the Cardinals, Sherman in San Fran, Lattimore in New Orleans, etc.) and they don’t have much from picks in the upcoming draft (with their drafts of the last six years, there isn’t an overabundance of optimism here they would have a great draft even if they had more picks than everyone else).
I’m not going to get excited with a potential win today, but I think it’s possible. Then it’s actually possible/probable to beat the Cardinals. The reality is if we feel good about this team if it gets to 2-2, the Rams in game five will send us back to our current reality of this having the feel of a Jim Mora season again.
Earl, Carroll, Schneider, and all of us fans have lost.
While we’re at it – we should hire a prehistoric offensive coordinator so he can play to the weaknesses of our starting QB. Oh, wait.
Anyone remember what the Bucs did to Me-shawn Johnson when Gruden was coach? They suspended him for the entire year (though they still had to pay him).
That’s not a great option considering they wouldn’t be getting any draft picks bad. That being said, I’ve about lost faith in what Schneider would do with the pick anyways.
But it could be for the best in terms of showing EVERYONE that they won’t ever be screwed like this. That might be more important than a pick that would turn into an Ethan Pocic.
Suspending him for the year is what he wants. A years salary and no injury risk before free agency.
Unfortunately, you’re probably right (whereas Keyshawn didn’t want to be suspended and was just a moron).
What a sad saga.
I will say this… Earl is our best defensive player (I do think he’s slightly better and more important than Wagner) and not having him is going to open up a hole on this team where free safety is going to be just as important or almost as important as finding another pass rusher in the upcoming draft.
That being said, you can’t have a cancer like that on your team. Anyone who has ever played or coached organized sports knows this. This situation sucks and is definitely a “downer.”
Can they fine PC/JS for allowing Schottenheimer to keep calling plays?
Glad they’re prioritizing Clark. As Jon Gruden said, even though he traded away one of the best, pass rushers ain’t easy to find.
Haha interested to see what Schotty’s better playcalling looks like. Maybe feeding Carson is in the cards.
Agreed Clark needs to stay in Seattle. What do you think an extension for Clark looks like? Guessing 4/$56m
I would think closer to 4/$70m with close to $45m guaranteed and I wouldn’t pay that.
Hopefully.
I have no idea. 4 years/$40 mil?
I read somewhere that ET has already collected well over 60 million from the Seahawks. So, now he is looking at getting a 3rd contract that pays him a few million more per year than he is already “earning”? Seems pretty greedy to me. Some say he is just looking out for his family’s future and the comfort of 13+ million a year for several more years to replace his 10 million a year contract? ET must be holding out for a 100+ million total for his career so his family can eat caviar for every meal and take trips around the moon?
I say fine his ass at ANY opportunity, he can afford it. This has to end soon, even if they just flat out cut him. The Seahawks don’t need this drama and you know his younger teammates are watching all of this unfold and learning from ET, et. al. how to put greed ahead of the team. NFL pay scales are really out of whack and will eventually ruin a lot of teams (if they haven’t already). The players salary demands will eventually be the end of the NFL as we know it. Hey, we still got college ball. I’d like to see more structured contracts that reward players for performance in multiple tiers. If a player wants more money, improve your “current” level of performance to get it. Past performance is history, what can you do for your teams future right now?
Mahomes is something else. That throw is insane.
+1 scary arm talent and a good athlete.
Andy Reid +Mahomes talent = best offense in NFL.
Buffalo is eating up the Vikings!
24-0 with time left in the 1st half.
Josh Allen has looked pretty damn good and accurate.
Haha! So now Earl is set to start against Dallas according to Steve Wyche?
https://mobile.twitter.com/wyche89/status/1043922210279239680/photo/1
when you look at the problem players that have plagued the Hawks the last 4 or 5 years, we have list of some of their best players.
Bennett, Sherman, Lynch, Harvin and now Thomas. Am I missing one? I think Kam came back and bought back in, so I am not counting him.
Hard not to put some (most??) of that blame on the feet of Pete. He allows guys to be themselves, and at least on defense, is able to utilize their skillset in a way a lot of other coaches cannot. But that sense of empowerment is a 2 edged sword and it has bitten back a lot the last 3 years.
I am not sure they can reset the culture with Pete at this point. It may have run its course and the magic cannot be brought back. If that is the case, have to still thank Pete for the best stretch ever of Hawks football, including an all time great defense. Now we will be spoiled for whatever comes next, how do you top that? I have been a fan since 77, seen some great players, but no great teams until Pete came along.
This Chiefs offense is a well oiled machine. They have all the pieces to be elite for the next few years…offensively at least.
Yup. Looks so much like a collegiate offense. I think a lot of what they do would suit RW perfectly.
Hawks O can be the same if they decide to.. we have the personnel I feel.
Bills up 27-0 at Minnesota
yeah, we all saw that coming….
Yep. Vikings oline is as bad as the Seahawks. Cousins pressured all game long
Except our o line isn’t that bad anymore……..
Keep feeding Carson and Lockett!
Who woulda thunk it? Protect Russ, lean on Carson, and target Lockett. He’s always open.
Earl on the field is something else…man need to stay. May be a 2-3 year extension at $12m?
I agree. Him and McDouglad is a top 2-3 safety tandem in the league. Along with Shaq, that’s a fantastic core of DBs. Keep that together.
Hawks might have picked up some leverage. One safety banged up and another can’t recover and get there in time on the Lockett TD.
Whenever Fluker has played the OL has gotten so much better push in the run game. Really hope he can stay healthy because he is a difference maker IMO. Health is a huge concern however.
Hunt looks just fine by the way.
Ding ding.
Fluker is a mauler and if I’m being completely honest, Hunt looks better than Britt. Seems like more of a leader and handles interior pressure better.
Thought the exact same thing. Remember, Hunt was a player they “had to have” in that draft. Kind of weird they cut him later for awhile before getting him back on the roster (I think last year).
PC/JS made the right move getting rid of Bennett and Sherm they just did it a year too late and did not get any compensation. I don’t think they make the same mistake with Earl. He is playing great so I can’t see his value getting any higher.
McDougald is playing a pro bowl level at Safety as well. He an Coleman in the slot are the unheralded stars of this defense.
They got the 5th rounder they turned into Dickson, and Marcus Johnson which they turned into Darrell Daniels on the Bennett trade.
3 sacks in 3 games for Frank Clark.
He’s been excellent today, but can they need one more guy. They run outta steam with just him. Green is gonna take some time.
Penny has a bad habit of trying to bounce everything. Carson is a star in the making man.
This is why I thought it was a mistake to draft Penny or any other RB in last years draft in the first round. I get that Carson hadn’t proven to be healthy but we could all see last year that he was the man for the job. Penny and all the other RB’s taken after Barkley don’t look like legit bell cows as Carson does.
I actually liked Penny when watching his tape in college before the draft but 1st round? Yikes. I was hoping for Derwin James or one of the O-linemen. Here’s hoping Green churns out.
We can’t call Carson a ‘legit bell cow’ after one game. He hasn’t been a legit bell cow in college or the NFL. He needs to prove that.
Tell you what, football is a lot more fun when you’re winning
2 bad punts by Dickson
Waste of a time out and 5 yd penalty to follow..bad coaching
does Aikman know he is not working for the Cowboys?
or maybe he is…..
He compared the Seahawks 2012-1014 LOB defense to this Cowboys unit.
Pay Earl!
Schotty’s clock killing plays are terrible. Good lord.
Michael Dickson got 1st home game nerves? Didn’t have a great day. Be interested to see the hang times
Someone better make sure Earl Thomas doesn’t get lost in the cowboys locker room!
Great game. Finally feeding Carson, perhaps a bit too much.
I’m no lip reader but I swear after the game I saw Kendricks say to Earl “gonna miss you man.” If this was Earls last game as a Hawk he went out with a bang!
That was damn fun, look what happens when we run the ball! Great day from Carson.
And Earl looked so so good, I know his antics are annoying and you don’t want to reward his behaviour, but please just pay the man.
It could also be Kendricks’ last game before a suspension is dealt. Hope not though.
Throughout this process the team has continued to protect the relationship to the player. Pete never throws people under the bus, and his comments like, “we want him here forever” suggested — to me — that in some scenario the team has a price its willing to commit to Earl if he accepts it. It was reported that the Seahawks were willing to waive his fines for holding out when he finally reported, and even his teammates were defending him (publicly, who knows how they really feel) to the media after the game.
Altogether, this suggests to me that the team envisioned a slim chance that Earl could be brought back on another contract once they take care of Frank Clark. They did nothing to burn the bridge, and in fact, worked to put out all the fires as graciously (I think too graciously) as possible.
I think this latest incident regarding practice not only proves that a future contract isn’t possible, but also now that it SHOULDN’T be possible.
When the going gets tough, can you count on Earl to work hard for his teammates? Can you count on him to be a professional? He’s no more than a hired gun at this point in his professional life, and I think that every other organization should take notice. Signing him means perhaps two years of bliss, followed by acrimony. That’s likely enough for some lucky team in a super bowl window, offering guarantees for only two seasons.
But that ship has officially sailed here.
As such, it’s time to stop pampering him. We’ll gain nothing by shielding him from his own actions. It’s time to collect the holdout money, and it’s time to impose fines and discipline for his actions. In short, it’s time to treat him like an employee. Catering to a diva only makes sense if you are courting them; assuaging the relationship because you need it to go well in the future.
By now that is impossible. Not just unlikely anymore — impossible. You can never trust Earl Thomas in this organization again, Super Bowl ring and Ring of Honor notwithstanding, he cannot be offered guaranteed money here moving forward. As crazy as it is to say this: he hasn’t earned it. He hasn’t earned the trust. That used to be true, but it isn’t now.
He also cannot be allowed to leave on his terms.
That would empower and vindicate his actions, and at this point it’s about organizational control. Pete and John need to reestablish who is in charge and who plays for whom.
People may not like to hear this, but letting Earl go to Dallas of all places for less than your stated price would be devastating to the concept of organizational control at the top. It can’t happen. That’s a loss. A big loss. Not in draft capital; not in All-Pro players; in belief in the coach and organization.
This isn’t about Earl Thomas anymore. It’s not even about the draft next year. To me, the main casualty are the 53 other players on this roster. They need to see strength and conviction at the top.
It’s a zero sum game now.
+12
– 29
Hear Hear, LLLOGOSSS!
Damn Fine Post and very well Worded.
He did it to himself, he did, and that’s why it really hurts. He did it to himself, just him. Him and no one else, He did it to himself.
He did it to himself, his self.
HE DID IT TO HIMSELF !!!
Go Team First !
When my kids threw temper tantrums growing up I made SURE they didn’t get what they wanted, and in fact the exact opposite.
Thomas should be treated the same. Make him play, and make him pay.