When last we saw Cowboys safety Juanyeh Thomas on the field, Dallas was suffering what might have been its worst loss of the season and headed for the most tumultuous week in the recent history of the franchise. There was the death of Marshawn Kneeland, a tragic and jolting event for the entire NFL, followed by a wild NFL trade deadline in which the Cowboys traded two picks and Mazi Smith for star defensive lineman Quinnen Williams.
Thomas went out with a migraine issue after that game, and has been on the non-football injury list since then. This week, coach Brian Schottenheimer announced that Thomas won’t be back this year, as the migraines have persisted.
On Friday, hours after Schottenheimer met with reporters at The Star, Thomas sent out a tweet with one emoji: two fingers giving the peace sign. As in, peace out.
Cowboys Had Juanyeh Thomas as a Starter–Briefly
That’s an indication that Thomas knows his Cowboys career is likely over. He was on a one-year contract this season worth just about $1 million, and will be a restricted free agent after this year, with Dallas unlikely to bring back a guy who had worked his way onto the team via the practice squad after going undrafted out of Georgia Tech.
Thomas had actually had the chance to win the starting job at safety this season thanks to an injury to Malik Hooker, and he had three starts in Weeks 5, 6 and again in Week 9. He also had one of the special teams highlights of the season for the Cowboys in Week 4, when he blocked a PAT from the Packers that set up Markquese Bell’s return for a 2-point touchdown in the tie vs. Green Bay.
Thomas talked about the starting job at the time: “It’s something I have been practicing for. Obviously, I know my role but I practice like a starter every week so this is nothing different. It’s nothing different. It’s a chance for me to come in and see if I can help, you know? I practiced for this moment, I am not gonna do anything different, just see what I can do.”
Back End of Cowboys Defense a Sore Spot
Unfortunately, the migraines got in the way. and Thomas played only seven games this season. Now, he is likely to get caught up in what will be a much-needed overhaul of the defensive backfield next offseason. The team has struggled to keep high-paid star cornerbacks Trevon Diggs (knee) and DaRon Bland (foot) on the field this season, and on a defense that has been rebuilt up front, the back end will need to be addressed this winter.
Bland is out for the year as he faces another possible foot surgery. Diggs has said he is healthy enough to play but was scratched last week nonetheless.
At safety, the Cowboys have Hooker, Alijah Clark and Bell under contract for next season, but the team’s other two safeties–Donovan Wilson and Josh Butler–are due to hit free agency, too. It’s possible the Cowboys could bring Thomas back on a cheap deal, but he suffered a knee injury that limited him to 13 games last year, and with the migraines this year, it is likely he will look elsewhere.
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