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Earl Thomas had reached a point where he didn't think free agency would pan out like he hoped and seemed prepared to sign a short-term deal with the Kansas City Chiefs before testing the market again in the near future.
But then, at the last minute, the Baltimore Ravens swooped in and offered Thomas a four-year, $55 million contract, a deal that Thomas would end up accepting.
It didn't make Thomas the highest-paid safety in the league like he originally wanted, but it was still a fine deal, and one that he was not expecting at that time.
“The Ravens were never in the picture,” Thomas said, according to Peter King of NBC Sports. “I was shocked. I was blessed.”
When you really think about it, the offer was not all that shocking.
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After all, the Ravens had just lost numerous key defensive players, including safety Eric Weddle, who the team had decided to release. With Landon Collins, Tyrann Mathieu, and Adrian Amos signing elsewhere, the market for a Weddle replacement was drying up.
But, Thomas was still remaining, and Baltimore took advantage.
The 29-year-old spent the 2018 campaign with the Seattle Seahawks but played in just four games before breaking his leg. During the time he was on the field, he registered 22 tackles, three interceptions, and five passes defended.
Thomas, who played his collegiate football at the University of Texas, was originally selected by the Seahawks with the 14th overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft.
Since then, he has made six Pro Bowl appearances while earning three First-Team All-Pro selections.
