Earl Thomas was a superstar at Texas where he received All-American honors. He was selected as the 14th pick of the 2010 NFL Draft and became an immediate starter at Free Safety. In his sophomore season of 2011, he started a five-year streak of Pro Bowls and three-year run of First Team All-Pros in 2012. Thomas was an essential member of the Legion of Boom, a group of Defensive Backs that helped the Seattle defense hold Denver to only eight points in their Super Bowl XLVIII Championship win.

Despite Richard Sherman receiving more attention, Thomas was equally as good and earned his sixth Pro Bowl in 2017. However, Thomas left the Seahawks for Baltimore as a Free Agent in 2019. After one Pro Bowl year, an altercation in practice with a teammate (Chuck Clark) proved to be too much for the Ravens, as his toxic nature wore out its welcome not only in Baltimore but the rest of the NFL. Domestic violence issues surrounding him further tarnished his reputation.

Earl Thomas may not have ended his career on his own terms, but he was one of the best Safeties of the 2010s. Not many former players were named to an All-Decade Team, but Thomas certainly earned that honor.