Ravens release Earl Thomas for ‘personal conduct that has adversely affected’ the team

UPDATE 12:37 p.m.: The Ravens announced they have released Earl Thomas and they specifically stated it is for “personal conduct that has adversely affected the Baltimore Ravens.” This means they are likely to go after his guaranteed money.

The Baltimore Ravens have decided to move on from safety Earl Thomas, according to multiple reports. The team is going to trade or release him as soon as Sunday, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting the Dallas Cowboys as a leading contender to pursue him if he’s released.

Thomas got into a fight in practice with Chuck Clark on Friday, according to the Baltimore Sun. The team sent Thomas home after the fight, and there is some speculation the team did so to set up a potential conduct detrimental release that would void his guarantees, per Pro Football Talk.

This is the second reported instance of Thomas getting into it with a teammate, and this has fueled the rumors of the team considering a conduct detrimental reason as part of a potential release in the coming days.

If this goes down, the expectation is that DeShon Elliott would replace Thomas in the starting lineup. The Ravens spent a sixth round pick on Elliott in the 2018 NFL Draft, but he has only appeared in six games — all last season — due to injuries.