Earl Thomas announced today he will sit out the Seahawks minicamp this week. He may sit out a lot longer, and Seattle better be ready for that.
Early Sunday morning, Earl Thomas wrote that he would not attend the Seahawks minicamp this week. That isn’t too surprising. Just the other day we wrote about the likelihood of Thomas skipping this week. After all, what’s $84,000 to a guy who’s negotiating for millions? That’s the fine for missing minicamp – actually $84,435, but who’s counting that far down?
Minicamps are mandatory, unlike the OTA which Thomas previously missed; hence the massive deterrent. That fine probably equals what Thomas earns from a few weeks of Chef’s Cut sales, so I doubt he’s too concerned about the fine.
I know someone who is concerned, though. I’m pretty sure Pete Carroll is very concerned. Both he and John Schneider have said more than once that Thomas had assured them he would be in camp this summer. If you don’t believe me, I know you’ll believe Bob Condotta. As he reported in the Seattle Times a few weeks ago,
"But unlike in the case of Thomas — who has stayed away from any activity with the team all offseason as he makes an apparent statement about his contract situation — Clark and Maxwell were thought just working out on their own for now. Both have participated in other team activities during the offseason. He is entering the final year of a contract due to pay him $8.5 million in 2018 and said in January he would consider holding out if he did not have an extension by the 2018 season. Seahawks general manager John Schneider, though, has said on several occasions the team has been told Thomas will not hold out."
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks really need Thomas in camp
To be fair, I don’t remember minicamp being specified then, just camp. Pete Carroll specifically said he expected Thomas at Virginia Mason this week, so it’s a moot point. Earl Thomas won’t be with his team this week. With all the turnover on defense, Thomas skipping even three days is a pretty big deal.
Naturally Kam Chancellor won’t be working out this week, as his future is still unknown. Bradley McDougald will be there with his shiny new contract. It sure would be nice for the two of them to get some work in, even for just a few days.
I know a lot of 12s are upset with Thomas for this holdout. Although ultimately this could work in the Seahawks favor. Really it’s true; go read the article. As for me, I don’t blame Thomas for holding out one bit. He’s in the final year of his contract. Yes, $8.5 million is a lot more money than you or I will ever see, I get it. But if he’s hurt this season, that’s it. He’s done.
There are six safeties making more money than Thomas this season, and only one is as good as Number 29. That would be Eric Berry of the Kansas City Chiefs. The other guys? Please, one of them is a rookie. Granted, Dolphins rookie Minkah Fitzpatrick got a $10 million signing bonus, not straight salary. And that bonus will be spread over four years. But on paper, he’s getting more than Thomas.
Put yourself in the shoes of Thomas
Think of it this way. You’ve been a sales rep for eight years at the ABC Company, and you’re the top salesman there, have been since you started. You go to the industry conventions every year, and if you don’t win Salesman of the Year, it’s that guy Eric with the guys at XYZ. You hit the bar one night, and find out Eric just got a big raise. Big, like twice as much as what you’re getting. You get a little upset, but figure your boss will fix that as soon as he hears about it.
So you talk to the honchos, Pete and John, and they tell you they’ll address it after this next big sales campaign. Too many moving parts”, or some such corporate speak. You think, that’s cool, I know they’ll take care of me. But then you find out that Eric isn’t the only guy making bank. Nope. There are five other guys at five other companies with better deals than yours. And none of them have your numbers. One of them just got hired by the competition, and they gave him a hiring bonus bigger than your annual take.
So tell me exactly how happy you’d be to work your butt off all year, all to make your company more successful than ever. And maybe they’ll give you a better deal at the end. It worked for your friend Kam a few years ago. Then again, Rich missed some time at the office, and the next thing he knew, he was talking to the competition down the coast.
When you put it into the context of real people, real situations, it starts making a little more sense. Yes, we’re still talking about millions of dollars, but it’s all relative. That’s exactly what Thomas is saying. Don’t take my word for it; read for yourself exactly what he said.
Earl Thomas tweets, because that’s what we all do now
When you think of it as a career, his career, and not just something guys do to entertain you, it changes things. Hopefully. Here’s the tweet from Earl Thomas this morning.
— Earl Thomas (@Earl_Thomas) June 10, 2018
Notice a key phrase: “I want to remain a Seahawk for the rest of my career.” I don’t know whether he really means this or has forgotten about his dream of playing for the Cowboys one day. I believe he’s completely sincere in that he wants to stay with the Seahawks for the majority of his career. He made it clear he would like to return to Texas when Seattle eventually decided to cut ties. The decision to leave would be the team’s, not his.
As Thomas states in his tweet, minicamp is just the start of this. It appears the holdout is on after all, despite whatever assurances the Seattle braintrust received. Just as Chancellor’s holdout lasted into the season, I wouldn’t be surprised if Thomas pushes his holdout as long as it takes.
The difference is this. The Seahawks don’t have an All Pro safety in camp to help make up for his absence. Like I said, Bradley McDougald is a fine player. I’m really happy he’s on the team. But he isn’t Kam Chancellor, and that’s a bargaining chip Earl Thomas has in his pocket. The Seahawks better be smart and do something fast to counteract that. Next up, you’ll see exactly what I have in mind.