You know the story.
On Christmas Eve, minutes after the 2017 Cowboys season essentially ended, Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas ran down Jason Garrett on the way to the Dallas locker room.
The words he spoke have served almost as a rallying cry for Cowboys fans this offseason. Almost a sacred motto for us to live by. They are the password to a secret club of hopes and dreams.
“If y’all have the chance, come get me.”
Earl Thomas went into Cowboys locker room to talk with Dez. Earl to Garrett: “If y’all have the chance, come get me.” pic.twitter.com/RiGkHB1JsX
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 25, 2017
Since Thomas spoke those words Cowboys fans have been trying to will them into existence. Here we are, on the precipice of free agency, and the opportunity has arrived. Earl Thomas is a bit of a prophet.
NFL Network, specifically Mike Silver, reported on Wednesday that Earl Thomas is indeed up for grabs. This news came hours after Richard Sherman’s fallout began in Seattle, the Legion of Boom is apparently a thing of the past.
There had been mixed reports about whether or not Seattle would be willing to move on from Thomas. They are, if the price is right, and that’s what Thomas was referring to over 60 days ago.
Earl Thomas: "When Seattle kicks me to the curb ... please, Cowboys, come get me"
— Seattle Times Sports (@SeaTimesSports) December 25, 2017
STORY ➡️ https://t.co/ovvdcJ3QMg pic.twitter.com/FhwggHbGaG
Let’s be clear here. For all we know, Jason Garrett has been glued to his phone and has been making trade offers left and right to bring Earl Thomas home to Texas. Or, he could be doing nothing about it, letting it all be a bit of a fantasy.
We don’t know whether or not the Cowboys have been actively trying to land Earl Thomas or not. What we do know is that something needed to happen, in Earl’s words, for them to be able to. They had to have a chance. Amazingly, they do. So does the rest of the NFL.
This isn’t to suggest that just because Earl Thomas said so that the Cowboys should go get him. Maybe they don’t evaluate him as a great safety anymore. Maybe they don’t think he’d be the right fit. But maybe, just maybe, they believe he can elevate them to the next level.
All of this has the makings of a movie, doesn’t it? Earl Thomas called his shot, it was contingent on Seattle “kicking him to the curb”, and the Seahawks are winding up their foot.
Getting to this point wasn’t supposed to happen.
Earl Thomas had his arm around Jason Garrett specifically when he ordered the code red; however, he may as well have had Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones, and Will McClay all there for a group hug.
The Cowboys braintrust typically acts as one these days, and they would all have to be on board if they were to acquire Thomas (especially if the price is indeed steep). But Jason Garrett has to be thinking about this long and hard, right? He lived the moment in its entirety.
The “if” at play has dissipated and all that remains is an actual chance to go and “get” Earl Thomas. Will Jason Garrett heed his advice? That remains to be seen. What’s astonishing is that he has the opportunity to. Let’s hope he makes the most of it.