The Houston Texans went from being on the verge of signing Earl Thomas to no longer interested in him in the span of about two days, and we may have an explanation for why things unfolded the way they did.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported on Sunday that several Texans players told head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien that they do not want Thomas in their locker room. While the team reportedly wanted to sign the All-Pro safety, players convinced O’Brien that it would not be a good idea.
Thomas was released by the Ravens before the season in part because of a fight he had with a teammate during practice. However, it quickly became clear that the altercation was part of a pattern of behavior. Houston played the Ravens in Week 2, and La Canfora notes that players chatted about Thomas’ behavior during pregame warmups.
There is no denying Thomas’ on-field talent, but the locker room dynamic was always expected to be a concern for teams. He also left the Seattle Seahawks on bad terms after flipping head coach Pete Carroll the middle finger. If not for the incidents in Baltimore and Seattle, Thomas would almost certainly be signed by now.
