Earl Thomas was released by the Baltimore Ravens just two days after he got into a fight with a teammate at practice, but the team’s decision was based on much more than that altercation.
Numerous reports have indicated that the Ravens parted ways with Thomas because of a pattern of frustrating behavior. Peter King of NBC Sports shed some more light on that Monday, noting that Thomas was “not well-liked by his teammates” before the confrontation with fellow defensive back Chuck Clark.
According to King, Thomas had made a habit of being late to work. The seven-time Pro Bowler missed at least one walk-through practice without providing an excuse. Thomas also made multiple assignment errors during a recent practice, which led to teammates confronting him about not being prepared. When Thomas and Clark needed to be separated, King says most — if not all — Ravens players came to Clark’s defense.
The altercation between Thomas and Clark was apparently sparked by an error Thomas made. Thomas posted a video of the play on social media while trying to explain his side of things.
Thomas should have no problem finding another job, as multiple teams are said to have interest in him. However, it was fairly obvious that his release was about more than one scuffle in practice. Teammates almost always go to bat for a star player, and what we saw with Thomas was the exact opposite.
