Bryan Thomas said near the end of the 2012 season that he wasn’t thinking about retiring, but injury news has caused the linebacker to entertain thoughts about calling it quits.
Thomas played through a torn pectoral muscle for the Jets in the second half of the 2012 season, but found out after the season that he also had a torn tendon in his shoulder. He’s had surgery and told Seth Walder of the New York Daily News that it will be some time before he knows whether or not he’ll be able to keep playing.
“I haven’t even thought about it, to be honest with you,” Thomas said. “If I go now and sign for the vet minimum for one year, I wouldn’t even pass the physical right now.”
Thomas said that his first choice would be a return to the Jets, for whom he has played since they made him a first-round pick in 2002. While Thomas likely won’t command much more than the veteran’s minimum given his injury and limited production in 2012, the Jets have been moving on from many of the players who made up their defense in recent seasons. It’s unlikely they’d change course with Thomas, although it seems we’ll be waiting a while to find out what, if anything, remains for Thomas in the NFL.