GREEN BAY, Wis. (Nov. 2, 2005) -- The Green Bay Packers waived second-year cornerback Joey Thomas in a surprising move.
Thomas, who briefly replaced starter Ahmad Carroll earlier this season, was benched at Cincinnati after he fell down on a key third-down play in a 21-14 loss to the Bengals. He was replaced as the nickel back by rookie Mike Hawkins.
He was angered by being yanked, saying he did not deserve such treatment, especially after Carroll has kept his job despite numerous penalties.
Thomas, a third-round pick last year from Montana State, made 16 tackles and broke up three passes in six games this season, including one start against Cleveland on Sept. 18. He played in 14 games last year as a rookie.
Last season he and Carroll, the Packers' first-round pick in 2004, got into a much-publicized fistfight after a position meeting, which observers said Thomas won handily. Thomas entered training camp as the starter ahead of Carroll after staying in Green Bay throughout the offseason and fine-tuning his game. He was supplanted by Carroll after nagging leg injuries forced him to miss several weeks during the preseason.
