Anthony Lynn says Chargers aren't interested in Earl Thomas after Derwin James injury
The Los Angeles Chargers need someone to replace the injured Derwin James, but now we know one player they won’t be looking at.
Head coach Anthony Lynn told reporters on Monday that the Chargers are not interested in signing safety Earl Thomas, who is available.
Anthony Lynn defiantly says the #Chargers are not inquiring about Earl Thomas: "Since you guys are constantly telling me how stacked my secondary is, why the hell would I be looking anywhere else?"
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) August 31, 2020
Fans had been speculating that Thomas could be signed to replace James, but Lynn put the kibosh on that at the earliest possible moment. Despite dealing with an injured player who needs a replacement, that’s a pretty definitive answer from Lynn.
James suffered a meniscus injury during the team’s scrimmage on Sunday and needs surgery. He is expected to be sidelined for at least six months, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, meaning he will miss the entire season.
Derwin James' knee injury requires surgery and he will be out 6-8 months, per @AdamSchefter. pic.twitter.com/wvIAShYy5o
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 1, 2020
Thomas not drawing much interest yet
Thomas was released by the Baltimore Ravens a few weeks ago, after getting into a fight with safety Chuck Clark at practice. Since Thomas had signed a four-year, $55 million contract just last year, it was a pretty significant move for the Ravens to make, especially since they’ll be taking a $25 million cap hit. But it signaled that enough was enough with Thomas, who’d talked a big game in Baltimore but was consistently unable to back it up on the field, as well as several off-the-field incidents.
Thomas’s surprise release due to behavior that “adversely affected” the Ravens could be why teams aren’t picking up on him. The Dallas Cowboys were seen as his likely landing spot after he was released, and head coach Mike McCarthy even said that signing Thomas had been “discussed.” Just a day later, it was reported that the Cowboys wouldn’t be signing him.
There are more teams with safety needs beyond the Chargers and Cowboys, of course. With training camp injuries starting to pile up as we get closer to the start of the season, other teams will surely come calling for Thomas.
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