Former Baltimore Ravens safety Earl Thomas (29) has been thinking about making a comeback. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Veteran safety Earl Thomas eyeing return to NFL

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated 4/22/22

Earl Thomas, who last played in the NFL in 2019 and turns 33 next month, is hopeful he can to return to the gridiron next season.

"I'm ready," Thomas said in a text to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Former seven-time Pro-Bowl safety Earl Thomas, who last played for Baltimore in 2019 and who turns 33 in May, said today that he wants to resume his NFL career this season. “I’m ready,” Thomas texted. “I’m in shape. My timing is on point - I’m proud of that.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 22, 2022

While Thomas found a lot of success on the field, he also created plenty of controversies. His nine-season run with the Seattle Seahawks, which included six Pro Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl win, ended poorly and was capped off with him flipping off head coach Pete Carroll while being carted off the field with a broken leg.

The Baltimore Ravens signed Thomas to a massive four-year, $55 million dollar deal the following offseason, but he only lasted one season due to reportedly butting heads with teammates and missing meetings. Baltimore released Thomas in August 2020 after he punched teammate Chuck Clark during the fourth practice of training camp. He later filed a grievance against the team for not paying him his guaranteed salary, but the Ravens declined to pay it on the grounds he violated his contract. As of February 2022, the grievance was still unresolved.

Thomas had a meeting with the Houston Texans in September 2020 and was supposed to work out for the team, but the workout was canceled.

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