Julio Cortez/Associated Press The Baltimore Ravens will reportedly either release or trade safety Earl Thomas as a result of an altercation with a teammate at practice, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Schefter noted the Dallas Cowboys are the favorites to land Thomas if he is cut by Baltimore.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans are also teams to watch when it comes to Thomas.
Thomas was sent home from practice Friday after a fight with fellow safety Chuck Clark, per Tom Peliserro of NFL Network. He was told to stay home Saturday despite the team returning to practice.
The veteran attempted to explain his side of the story on Instagram, noting the confrontation was a result of busted coverage during practice:
Head coach John Harbaugh was upset about the extent of the fight, via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk:
"It just lasted longer than it needed to for me. You're going to have these things in training camp. I think you're going to have tempers flare, sure. It happens every training camp, especially right about now, probably. But I don't like them when they extend like that and eat into our reps, and we're going to have to find out why and make sure that doesn't happen."The team's leadership council made its voice heard by telling the organization " they would prefer Thomas not be around," per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. La Canfora added teammates "strongly support" Clark in this scenario.
Though Thomas was signed through 2022 with $10 million fully guaranteed salary for 2020, his guarantee could be voided for conduct detrimental to the team, per Florio.
Baltimore also has depth at the position with second-year player DeShon Elliott, while free agent Tony Jefferson could also be an option after spending last season with the team.
Thomas is still an elite player when on the field. He earned his seventh Pro Bowl selection last year and has been named first-team All-Pro three times. He was also a key part of the Seattle Seahawks winning the Super Bowl after the 2013 season.
The 31-year-old finished last season with 49 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and one fumble recovery.
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