Texans release receiver Demaryius Thomas, who is coming off torn Achilles
Never forget, when NFL players hold out for as much money as they can command, that the teams consistently make cold-hearted business decisions and players see millions of dollars in potential salary disappear.
The latest case is Houston Texans receiver Demaryius Thomas. The Texans acquired Thomas in a mid-season trade with the Denver Broncos, where he was a star. Thomas tore his Achilles tendon late in the season, and that’s a tough injury to come back from at age 31.
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The Texans cut Thomas on Tuesday, canceling the $14 million base salary he was slated to make in 2019. Despite the high rate of injuries and short career spans, as we know, almost all NFL contracts are comprised of mostly non-guaranteed base salaries.
Demaryius Thomas will continue to rehab
The Texans probably planned all along to move on from Thomas after the season. A $14 million salary for a receiver past age 30 is tough to handle, especially since the Texans have a true No. 1 receiver in DeAndre Hopkins.
Still, the timing after the injury is harsh.
Thomas will have to prove he’s healthy before he gets a 2019 deal from a team, and even then it will likely be a short-term deal at nowhere near $14 million. Thomas will continue to rehab, without an employer, and try to show teams he’s healthy when he’s ready. The timing of the injury, which happened in Week 16, makes the timetable a little more difficult. Most teams will have made their plans at receiver by the time Thomas is healthy.
What will Thomas’ market be when healthy?
One of Thomas’ issues will be that he looked like he was in decline even before the injury.
Thomas made four Pro Bowls with the Broncos and was a key part of the team’s Super Bowl 50 championship, but he posted 949 yards in 2017 and just 677 between the Broncos and Texans in 2018. Inconsistent quarterback play with the Broncos didn’t help.
Thomas will have a lot of questions to answer, and the first one is due to his health. It’s a view into the tough side of a brutal business.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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