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Earl Thomas holding out: 5 reasons he’s smart to hold out from Seattle Seahawks camp

By George Stockburger

SEATTLE, WA - JANUARY 07: Earl Thomas #29 of the Seattle Seahawks stands on the field prior to the NFC Wild Card game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Detroit Lions at CenturyLink Field on January 7, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - JANUARY 07: Earl Thomas #29 of the Seattle Seahawks stands on the field prior to the NFC Wild Card game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Detroit Lions at CenturyLink Field on January 7, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /
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CINCINNATI, OH – DECEMBER 04: Ryan Shazier #50 of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts as he is carted off the field after a injury against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first half at Paul Brown Stadium on December 4, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – DECEMBER 04: Ryan Shazier #50 of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts as he is carted off the field after a injury against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first half at Paul Brown Stadium on December 4, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images) /

3. Injuries during the season

Speaking of the risks that come with football, let’s examine the recent injury history of NFL players. The ACL Recovery Club reports 51 players suffered the devastating knee injury last year, which can put a player on the self for approximately nine months.

The NFL reported in January that IQVIA, an independent third party retained by the league, found a 13.5 percent increase in diagnosed concussions from 2016 to 2017, or 38 additional concussions. Those numbers include practice, preseason, and regular season games.

SEATTLE, WA – OCTOBER 29: Quarterback Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans rushes against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on October 29, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – OCTOBER 29: Quarterback Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans rushes against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on October 29, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /

The injury bug is not blind or prejudice to stars, rookies, and backups across the league, as stars including Carson Wentz, Deshaun Watson, and Allen Robinson among others went down during the season with knee injuries. Ryan Shazier will be lucky if he can walk unassisted and unhobbled again after a traumatizing injury.

It’s simply not worth it for Thomas to risk his body without knowing he’s financially secure beyond this year. An injury could cost him tens of millions of dollars just with his next contract, let alone future playing contracts, endorsements, and other means of financial gain.

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