Earl Thomas was once criticized by Cris Carter after DB flipped off Seahawks sideline-“Wish we didn’t see it”

In 2018, Earl Thomas was injured as he was in the midst of contract negotiations with the Seattle Seahawks. The former safety fractured his left leg in a game against the Arizona Cardinals. Since he and the Seahawks were unable to agree on a contract extension, his tenure with the team was over.

The chances of signing with another team the following season were also in danger. As he was being carted off the field, Thomas looked towards the Seattle Seahawks sidelines and proceeded to flip a hand gesture toward them.

Clearly, Earl Thomas was upset about the injury and what it had done to his career, but many were taken aback by his actions. One of those was Hall of Famer Cris Carter. At the time, he said that he wished Thomas hadn't done that and that it wasn't caught on camera.

“I wish we didn’t see it. Earl’s been a lot classier than that when he was at University of Texas as a high draft pick in the NFL. Now, he’s been in a dispute with the team over getting that contract extension, but the truth of the matter is Seattle is the one that drafted him. They’re the one who put those other defensive players around him, so that he can create the legacy that he has. The Seattle Seahawks just made him rich. Now, I don’t know what they did to deserve that, but that’s just not the way to go out."

Carter said that he was disappointed in the way the former Seahawks safety handled the situation. He said that he felt that the safety was classier than that and despite his frustrations, the Seahawks didn't deserve that.

When did Earl Thomas last play in the NFL?

At the prime of his career, Earl Thomas was seen as one of the best safeties in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft and played with the team until he was injured in 2018.

After he recovered from his fractured leg, he signed a four-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens. He would end up playing just one season with the Ravens before being released by the team before the start of the 2020 NFL season.

His attitude and behavior, as well as his frequent absence from meetings and tardiness, caused his release. Despite other NFL teams being interested in signing the safety, he hasn't played in the NFL since.