Despite earlier reports that seemed to indicate the signing of safety Earl Thomas was close for the Houston Texans, it appears the franchise has chosen to not sign the former Seahawk because of negative feedback from the Houston roster, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.
Generally regarded to be one of the top defenders in the NFL during his tenure with Seattle's famed “Legion of Boom,” Thomas accrued six Pro Bowl appearances over an eight-year period–as well as helping the Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory–before departing the Pacific Northwest due largely to a fracturing of his relationship with head coach Pete Carroll. The Texans know this.
Signed by the Ravens to a four-year contract worth $55 million in 2019, Thomas was released by Baltimore in August after an altercation with teammate Chuck Clark, led to the safety throwing a punch. That the Texans' players expressed such pronounced dissatisfaction with the potential move, despite the team being winless and operating shorthanded on the defensive side of the football, will only add to the doubts that Thomas will be able to rehabilitate what has become a toxic reputation.
Still seen as a player capable of making positive contributions on the field, La Canfora noted the safety has been described as a “lone wolf,” unwilling to adapt to the Texans' play style.
The report also brought under further scrutiny, the status of Texans coach Bill O'Brien, whose consistent on-field victories has masked what many have described as a “fraught” relationship with the Houston locker room. With no help on the way from the erstwhile Thomas, and another loss at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings, it appears that those questions will only increase for O'Brien.
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