Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas' nightmare scenario played out in real life last night as he suffered a season-ending injury just four weeks into what is expected to be his final season with the team. Thomas entered the 2018 season in the final year of his contract after holding out of training camp and preseason games in hopes of a new, long-term deal.
The 29-year old veteran was carted off the field in the fourth quarter of Seattle's 20-17 victory against the Cardinals after breaking his leg while defending a touchdown pass in the end zone. As he was on his way back to the locker room, Thomas directed a middle finger salute to the Seahawks' sideline.
In the aftermath of his season-ending injury, several current and former NFL players, including Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell showed support for Thomas who was clearly pissed at the organization for the way things played out.
According to the Seattle Times, teammate Doug Baldwin told reporters, “This is why. I know surface-level thinking tells you he’s making a lot of money. And yeah, he is making a lot of money. But relative to this game, relative to what this role entails — he’s a Hall of Fame-caliber player. He’s the best safety in the league,” Baldwin said. “And just like any other profession, you want to be paid accordingly, especially when you have such a high risk of being injured.”
In four games this season, Thomas led the Seahawks with three interceptions. Check out some of the reactions to the devastating injury in the tweets and IG posts embedded below.
https://twitter.com/_/status/1046564402688741376
https://twitter.com/_/status/1046546655187734530
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https://www.instagram.com/p/BoYvIoVH8Ba