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Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas has been holding out all offseason due to his contract situation. And chances are he will continue his holdout into training camp if he still doesn’t get a long-term deal. Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner has been supportive of his teammate’s quest to get paid, and he wants everyone else to understand Thomas’ situation.
In a radio interview on KJR with former teammate Cliff Avril, Wagner explains that Thomas has every right to do what’s best for him because the harsh reality of how business works in the NFL doesn’t favor the players.
Article Continues Below“You've got to do what's right for you,” Wagner told KJR per Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune. “Because at the end of the day, whenever you are done they don't care about you. You've got to get what you've got to get while you can. Because as soon as you can't play… ”
“As soon as you get hurt,” Avril interjected.
“Yeah,” Wagner responded. “As soon as you can't play and they don't want you no more, it's over. So you've got to make the best of your opportunity.”
As with what happened to two Seahawks in Avril and Kam Chancellor, an NFL player’s career can end quickly. It’s just the nature of their business. And when they get injured, like Avril did, teams can simply move on from them due to the prevalence of non-guaranteed contracts in the league.
That’s why it’s imperative for players to try and get paid while they still can because no one knows when their window to earn will close shut.
Most fans usually aren’t so sympathetic toward multi-millionaires like Thomas, who are viewed as greedy for choosing not to show up to work and wanting more money. But within that Seahawks locker room, they probably share Wagner’s point of view when it comes to Thomas’ holdout.
