Five-year NFL veteran defensive end Solomon Thomas has signed with the New York Jets. Thomas played in all 17 games last year for the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Jets are signing DE Solomon Thomas, according to a source. Thomas was a 2017 first-round pick of the 49ers and played for Robert Saleh from 2017-20. He was with the Raiders last year.
— Brian Costello (@BrianCoz) March 28, 2022
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Solomon Thomas, New York Jets, Agree to Contract
The San Francisco 49ers selected Thomas with the third overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Stanford. In his rookie year, Thomas played in 14 games, starting 12. He accumulated 41 tackles, three sacks, ten tackles for a loss, one fumble recovery, and 11 quarterback hits.
Thomas’s production took a dip in his sophomore season. He played in 16 games, starting 13. He only accumulated one sack, 31 tackles, three tackles for a loss, six quarterback hits, and 19 quarterback pressures.
The 49ers drafted Ohio State edge rusher Nick Bosa in 2019, putting pressure on Solomon Thomas to produce. His snap count reduced as Bosa stole the show in his rookie year. Thomas played in all 16 games, starting in only three. He accumulated two sacks, 21 tackles, three tackles for a loss, six quarterback hits, and eight quarterback pressures. Despite the lack of playing time, Thomas was a part of the 49ers team that advanced to Super Bowl LIV. They lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-20.
In May 2020, due to the lack of production out of the former 3rd overall pick, the 49ers elected to decline his fifth-year option, making him a free agent in 2021. He suffered the same fate as teammate Nick Bosa in 2020. Both defensive ends only played two games, tearing their ACLs at Metlife Stadium against the New York Jets. In the two games, Thomas accumulated two tackles.
On March 19th, 2021, the Las Vegas Raiders signed Thomas to a one-year contract. Thomas played in all 17 games for the Raiders, starting zero. Though starting zero games, Thomas played a part in the progress of the Raiders defense under new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. He accumulated 3.5 sacks, a career-high, to go along with 34 tackles, three tackles for a loss, 12 quarterback hits, and 17 quarterback pressures. The Raiders made the playoffs but lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card round, 26-19.
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