The Seattle Seahawks may have won the duel with the Arizona Cardinals, but the game will be remembered for another scene: Safety Earl Thomas had to be driven off the pitch injured and pointed the finger towards his own bench.
Thomas had injured his knee at the touchdown pass of the Cardinals for an interim equaliser without any opponent action. After his opponent had caught the ball, Thomas went to the ground.
Then a circle of players, cardinal players and coaches formed around him before Thomas was finally driven off the pitch. The safety was driven along Arizona’s side line, several Cardinals players came to him and patted him on the shoulder with encouragement.
But Thomas’ gaze went towards the Seahawks sideline – and then he showed his own team the stinky finger.
Of course, the action did not come without history. Throughout the summer Thomas had made it clear publicly that he wanted a new contract and stayed away from the team. But the Seahawks remained tough and so Thomas went beyond the season into his last contract year without long-term security.
Head Coach Pete Carroll reported after the match that Thomas had broken his leg. This should now have a massive impact on its free agent market after the season. His last game in the Seahawks jersey, however, he was almost certain to complete.