On August 23rd, the Baltimore Ravens announced they have released safety Earl Thomas III due to personal conduct.
What We Know:
- Earl Thomas, a seven-time Pro Bowl safety, was released from the Ravens after punching one of his teammates over a coverage breakdown.
- The Baltimore Ravens announced the news in a brief statement saying, “We have terminated [safety] Earl Thomas’ contract for personal conduct that adversely affected the Baltimore Ravens”.
- Thomas lost a four-year $55 million contract and the Ravens will likely try to recover the $10 million guaranteed base salary that is owed to him.
- This is not Thomas’ first misdemeanor during his 17-months with the Ravens. After a game in Sept. 2019, he had a scuffle with nose tackle Brandon Williams for “not suiting up for the game”. In Oct. 2019, he was fined $21,000 by the NFL for a hit that knocked out Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph. Eleven days later, he chose not to fly back with the team to Baltimore. Instead, he decided to take a bye week off and skipped meetings on Monday and Tuesday.
- Thomas commented on the team’s decision on his Instagram Story. He said, “Wish things would have ended differently, but you live and you learn. Thank you Eric DeCosta and everyone else who has played a role in bringing me to B-More. Wish you guys the best.”
DeShon Elliot, a third-year safety on the Ravens, has stepped in to take Thomas’ place.
