Earl Thomas' month-long run of unemployment isn't yet over, but he's headed for his first workout with a prospective team.
Thomas is in Houston for a workout with the Texans, according to the league's transaction wire.
There is currently no deal in place with Thomas, who is one of multiple safeties set to work out later in the week with the Texans, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. For now, it is a tryout and a visit and a chance for the Texans to see Thomas would potentially fit in their locker room, Rapoport added.
Thomas was released by the Baltimore Ravens in late August following a fight with then-teammate Chuck Clark, bringing an end to a one-year partnership in which Thomas appeared in 15 games, recorded 47 tackles, four passes defended and two interceptions. It also brought an end to a string of what the team described as "personal conduct that adversely affected the Baltimore Ravens."
Thomas has since been a man without a team, even with some clubs entering the seasons with voids at safety. His preferred destination, Dallas, didn't jump at the chance to add him, while the Los Angeles Chargers also chose not to pursue him in the wake of Derwin James' injury.
Houston has allowed an opposing passer rating of 112.2 and a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 6-0 through three weeks, helping explain the team's 0-3 start. With Thomas still lingering on the open market, mutual interest has led to the visit, per Rapoport.
The Texans have shown a tendency to add castoff defensive backs in the Bill O'Brien era to varying degrees of success. Houston signed Tyrann Mathieu to a one-year deal in 2018 after he'd departed Arizona due to a contract dispute, and O'Brien also acquired former first-round pick Gareon Conley from the Raiders in a mid-season trade. The Texans also signed Tashaun Gipson to a three-year deal in 2019, a pairing that only lasted one season.
Thomas would become the latest to join such a group, and might be of the highest profile (Mathieu has since returned to an elite level of production in Kansas City), even after he didn't make a huge difference in Baltimore. At 31 years old, it's fair to wonder what Thomas has left to contribute, but for the Texans, it doesn't hurt to kick the tires on the veteran.
