RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Holdout safety Earl Thomas reiterated Thursday he wants to be traded if the Seattle Seahawks aren’t willing to offer him a contract extension.
Thomas explained the reasoning behind his ongoing holdout in a long post on The Players’ Tribune . Thomas has skipped Seattle’s entire offseason program and missed the first week of training camp.
Thomas said his holdout is entirely based around securing his long-term future with his current contract set to expire at the conclusion of the 2018 season.
“One of the reasons I’ve always played so hard is because I want my actions on the field to be able to speak for me,” Thomas wrote. “But I can’t do that right now — and I’m in a situation where I feel like I really have to say something. Not just on behalf of myself, but also for the other players around the league who are currently in the same position as me, or who will be in the future.”
Thomas is a three-time first-team All-Pro and was the anchor for the Seattle defense that appeared in consecutive Super Bowls, winning the first. Aside from a broken leg suffered late in the 2016 season, Thomas has been a durable starter from the time he arrived in the league. Thomas has missed just seven regular-season games in his career.
Thomas said he was shaken by the injuries suffered by Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor — two other members of Seattle’s “Legion of Boom” secondary — in a Thursday night game last season. Sherman ruptured his Achilles tendon, ending his season, and Chancellor suffered a neck injury. Sherman was released by Seattle in the offseason and signed with San Francisco. Chancellor — while not officially retired — is not expected to play again because of the neck injury.
“That Thursday night game really cemented in my mind the truth — which is that your entire life can change on one play. And when it does, no matter what you’ve accomplished in the past . you can still get cut without even so much as a negotiation,” Thomas wrote.
Thomas said he’s become frustrated with the insinuation that his holdout means he doesn’t want to play in Seattle anymore.
“That’s just not true, man. I love Seattle. But I’d hoped I wouldn’t even have to say that. I’d hoped that the way I’ve played for this team over the last eight years would tell you all you need to know,” Thomas wrote.
