Earl Thomas Reportedly 'Was Not Well-Liked By' Teammates Before Ravens Release

Even before Earl Thomas was released by the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, the seven-time Pro Bowler was reportedly not highly regarded within the locker room. 

Per Peter King of NBC Sports, Thomas was "not well-liked by his teammates" for a variety of on- and off-field reasons. 

"He had a pattern of being late, and in a recent practice, he made multiple assignment errors, causing defensive teammates to confront him about his preparedness," King wrote. "He missed at least one walk-through with no valid excuse."

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Ravens sent Thomas home on Friday after he got into fight with fellow safety Chuck Clark during practice. 

Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh told The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec afterward that he didn't see what instigated the altercation:

“I don’t know exactly what happened at the end of practice. I just came off the field and came in here, so we’ll find out the details of it. It just lasted longer than it needed to for me. You’re going to have these things in training camp. Tempers are going to 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. We’re going to have to find out why and make sure that doesn’t happen. We need to keep our eye on the prize, which is preparing for Browns.”

The team's statement on Sunday said Thomas was released "for personal conduct that adversely affected the Baltimore Ravens."

A 10-year veteran, Thomas became a free agent for the first time after the 2018 season. He joined the Ravens in March 2019, signing a four-year, $55 million contract that included $32 million guaranteed.

Thomas started 15 games for Baltimore last season, recording 49 combined tackles and two sacks.