The Baltimore Ravens have released Earl Thomas one day after he reportedly got into an altercation with now-former teammate Chuck Clark. Ian Rapoport posted a tweet on Sunday saying that Thomas was officially cut.
The news came after NFL insider Adam Schefter first reported Thomas’ time with Baltimore was over. Schefter reported on Twitter that Thomas had been sent home and that the franchise was either going to cut him or try to trade him.
Just an hour after reports first surfaced that Thomas was no longer going to be a Raven, the front office reportedly made it official.
Earlier in the day, Rapoport had said that if Thomas was put on the open market, the Dallas Cowboys could be chief among his pursuers. The analyst said that the Cowboys weren’t likely to offer much up in trade, but they would allegedly come calling if he was a free agent.
The analyst said Dallas freed up some salary cap space when they cut defensive tackle Gerald McCoy after he suffered a season-ending injury. That release gave the club about $3 million of maneuverability. The front office created more room under the cap when it restructured left tackle Tyron Smith’s contract, giving the team another $7 million.
Rapoport also said the Cowboys are not the only team that will show interest. There are in fact, several other franchises that could come calling for Thomas.
The San Francisco 49ers and the Houston Texans could express interest in the seven-time Pro-Bowler. The question around the league is whether or not the altercation with Clark could change how much interest some franchises have in the talented safety.
Rumors around the league on Saturday said several of Thomas’ teammates were advocating for the front office to release him. It appears the team listened to those voices.
The Ravens are reportedly saying they released the defender for “conduct detrimental to the team.” The analyst said that this means the team is going to attempt to get out of the tens of millions of dollars they still owe him.
Whoever does land the defensive star will become his third franchise in three years. Thomas spent nine seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. That included his rookie year in 2010 in which he started all 16 games, logging 76 tackles, five interceptions and seven passes defended.
He joined the Ravens before 2019 and had a solid season, even if his numbers didn’t approach his career-best. He logged 49 total tackles, two interceptions and four passes defended.
With fall camps underway around the league, those interested in Thomas are expected to move quickly as the NFL is just weeks away from kicking off the 2020 season.