As NFL free agency is set to start within a few days, almost all the NFL teams are working on their rosters, releasing and resigning players. The Jaguars also had to make a decision on their safety, Daniel Thomas.
Thomas has been a crucial part of the Jaguars special team and reportedly, the team has decided not to part ways with him.
Jaguars reportedly resign safety Daniel Thomas
According to recent reports, the Jaguars are going to bring back one of the key special team players, Daniel Thomas.
An NFL insider reported that Daniel has agreed to rejoin the team. Reportedly, a two-year deal worth $4 million will be signed between the Jaguars and Daniel Thomas. The deal will also have the potential to generate $6 million in incentives.
Daniel was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars out of Auburn in 2020 and spent all four seasons with the team. Now, they have decided to re-sign him in an attempt to improve their roster situation and performance for the upcoming season.
The Jaguars released veteran safety Rayshawn Jenkins to make more cap space. While it helped the team have more cap space, it left them without a starter safety, allowing Daniel Thomas to have a more dominant role.
How was Daniel Thomas’ NFL 2023–24 stats?
Daniel Thomas has been a consistent contributor on special teams for the Jaguars, logging an impressive 902 special team snaps over the last four years. In the 2023 season alone, he accounted for 61% of the team’s special teams snaps with 243 snaps.
He made seven solo tackles, did not force any fumbles, and did not defend any passes. One of Thomas’ most memorable plays from the 2023 season was a crucial tackle on a punt during Week 15 against the Baltimore Ravens. Acting as a gunner, he managed to split a double team, fight his way back in bounds, and execute a one-on-one tackle in space to prevent a significant gain on the return.
According to ESPN, Daniel Thomas recorded just eight tackles in the past two seasons but has accumulated 61 tackles in his four seasons and 56 total games played for the franchise.
In his rookie season, he made 18 tackles as a reserve safety. After that, he suffered an arm injury and was placed on the injured reserve list, missing out on the rest of the season. He then made a strong comeback, recording a career-high 27 total tackles in 2021.
Daniel Thomas has been a crucial part of the Jaguars since then and will continue to do so with the new deal reportedly finalized between the two parties.
