Earl Thomas has broken his leg and maybe all the NFL

On September 5th, Earl Thomas, a professional security specialist, announced the end of his contract with the Seattle Seahawks during the off-season, in an Instagram post. "I have never left [my] My teammates, the city or the fans are down as long as I live and do not plan to start this weekend, Thomas said. That said, the lack of respect has been well noted and will not be forgotten. "

So when he was fired last night after getting injured in the leg during Seattle's 20-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals, Thomas reminded the organization of the Seahawks how he had not forgotten what it seemed to be his own. sideline. (See above for a truly witty bird.) Of course, it is quite possible for Thomas to send a message to a random fan who was over the shoulders of his teammates, as long as he is also quite possible that he has Wolverine's mutant healing powers and will be back on the field next week.

Thomas had initially chosen to hold out because he was entering the final year of his contract and wanted an extension or an exchange to protect himself from this horrible situation – an end-of-season injury that will completely alter his ability to be paid. . The management of Seattle, in full phase of dismantling, while remaining competitive through quarterback Russell Wilson, instead played a game of chicken with perhaps the greatest security of the last decade. The team won this pool match as Thomas, tied for the 75th highest paid player in the NFL this season, made three interceptions (tied for the lead of the championship) in four games before his tragic injury. On the other hand, Seattle has simultaneously lost this chicken game for obvious reasons. And the long-term effects of hogwash on Thomas will not only be reflected in the locker room in Seattle, but throughout the league for a long time.

NFL players are increasingly tired of the volatile nature of the contracts they are able to sign, which are often plagued by incentive bonuses and minimal guaranteed cash. The Steelers star, the 'Veon Bell,' did not play a single shot in 2018 because of this situation, doubly tired of seeing his wide-ranging contract negotiations stalled by the slogan "Franchise", with a term of one year. deal – for the previous two seasons. In March, Bell told ESPN:

In light of Thomas's injury, Bell made the following comment:

Where the average Joe will throw himself into the old "boo-hoo for multimillionaires", it should be noted that NFL contracts are often about the same value as toilet paper, knowing that most can be torn at the discretion team. Unless your name rhymes with Dom Grady, even superstars get one, may be two opportunities to really earn money over the course of their careers, assuming that these moments are not dashed by, oh, "leg injuries" at the end of the season. Thomas and Bell, for now, are the most distant values: top talent who can stay in the background, be covered by the media and continue to slide into the game if they wish. Many players on the sidelines of the league, the guys you watch on Hard blows who are cut on a whim, have neither the leverage nor the ability to withdraw money. And by "cash", we mean "take a small percentage of their value from owners of multi-billion teams". Team owners such as Jerry Jones, who recently spoke about the NFL players he employs, "[They’re] paid a lot of money to go out and hire these guys [of] situations that have more risk in them ".

Or, in the case of Earl Thomas, they are not paid enough.