Ravens to move on from Earl Thomas after training camp fight

Earl Thomas is done in Baltimore

Lamar Jackson might get all the hype, but the Baltimore Ravens have one of the league’s stingiest defenses, with safety Earl Thomas at the center of it all. In one of the most shocking developments of the 2020 offseason, Thomas’ future with the team was left in limbo after punching safety Chuck Clark during a fight in practice. Thomas’ fears were indeed confirmed, as the Ravens decided that he wasn’t worth keeping around in 2020.

Adam Schefter confirmed that the Ravens will either trade or release the dominant safety, as fighting with one of his fellow defensive backs is not behavior John Harbaugh will tolerate from anyone.

Earl Thomas played very well during his only season with the Ravens.

During his nine years with the Seattle Seahawks, Thomas was named a Pro Bowler six times and an All-Pro five times. He signed with the Ravens after injuries limited him to four games in 2018, and his arrival helped the Ravens go 14-2 in the regular season. In 15 games, Thomas recorded 49 tackles and intercepted two passes while being named a Pro Bowler for the seventh time. While he struggled in the postseason, Thomas remains one of the league’s best when it comes to covering ground from the safety position.

Thomas certainly has plenty of gas left in the tank, but whomever either trades for his four-year, $55 million contract or signs him as a free agent will have to accept the fact that they’re adding a guy whose erratic behavior got him kicked off of one of the few elite teams in the league.

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In just two years, injuries and his own questionable behavior have made Thomas one of the more radioactive defensive backs in the league despite his pedigree. If anyone is willing to take on his powder-keg personality, they could snatch one of the game’s truly elite secondaries.