One of the NFL’s premier safeties, Earl Thomas, all but ended his nine-year stint with the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday. While being carted off with an apparent leg injury, he gave the middle finger to his team’s sideline, showing his disgust for the way the team treated him this season.
Thomas had spent the entire NFL offseason and training camp trying to get his contract restructured to an amount of money he believed he deserved. The six-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champ had more than earned a new contract, but the Seahawks refused to give it to him.
Because of the hold out, Seahawks players and officials spoke negatively of Thomas, saying, “He’s handling his situation, rather than helping us.” Thomas ultimately gained no leverage in contract negotiations and didn’t want to be viewed as someone who didn’t care about his team.
The Seahawks shopped Thomas in many possible trades and found nothing. Thomas broke his left leg during a game against the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday. Due to this injury, Thomas’ value among NFL teams decreases exponentially, all because Thomas was framed as the bad guy for refusing to play.
Thomas will not get nearly as big a payday now because of his injury when he absolutely should have cashed in when he had the chance. NFL players should have the right to hold out and have the public be accepting of the action. NFL players have earned the big payday they are in search of. Thomas earned his payday by being a Pro Bowl player for the Seahawks, and the Seahawks ridiculed him and pressured him into playing, costing him money.
This has been an issue for players such as Steelers Pro Bowl running back Le’Veon Bell. Bell has been holding out since training camp at the start of the 2018 NFL season and continues to hold out through week four of the season.
Bell looks to keep his value safe and was called a “selfish player who only thinks of himself” by Steelers’ legend Joe Greene. Bell has been ridiculed by his teammates and NFL officials and is reportedly returning to the team week seven of the season. Bell deserves his money and doesn’t deserve to look like an enemy. Bell has been productive on the field, earning three Pro Bowl selections and two All-Pro selections.
Despite Thomas’ and Bell’s production on the field, they continue to be seen as the enemy because they feel they should be paid for their successes. Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner summed up the issue saying, “I think that’s the crazy part of our business. If he doesn’t come, then he’s not a team player, if he does come and he gets hurt, then it’s, ‘He shouldn’t have come.’ So, it’s a position that we get put in often, and it’s an unfortunate situation.”
Bell and Thomas are among many other players that should get the pay they deserve for putting their bodies on the line every weekend, and their frustrations with the league and the teams are validated.
By John Pullano, Contributing Writer
pullanjj18@bonaventure.edu
