Earl Thomas Carted Off Field

Seahawks safety Earl Thomas is done for the year after suffering a lower leg fracture, coach Pete Carroll confirmed (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network). Doctors quickly confirmed the injury after Thomas was carted off of the field and had his leg put in an air-cast. The Seahawks will place Thomas on injured reserve, opening up a spot on the 53-man roster.

It’s devastating news for Thomas, particularly since he is in his contract year. Thomas has been pushing for a new contact all year, and this is exactly the situation he was looking to avoid.

Thomas skipped practice multiple times recently and abstained from training camp while demanding a new deal or a trade. It looked like his holdout was going to last into the regular season, but just before the season started he finally reported and started each of the first four games while continuing to publicly state his dissatisfaction with the Seahawks. The Cowboys reportedly offered a second round pick for Thomas earlier this summer, but were turned down.

When on the field, Thomas has been his normal elite self. He’s one of the best safeties in the game, and is a true difference maker. It’s yet another blow for a Seahawks team that has dealt with a slew of injuries to key players this season. Nothing is certain yet, but it appears highly possible Thomas has played his last down in Seattle.

View Comments (31)