Players clasped hands and hugged each other. Juan Castillo, the coordinator of run games, conversed with his offensive linemen while seated in front of a vacant stall. Remaining in his white jersey, linebacker Cody Barton reclined back against a folding table, looking thoughtful.
Way remarked, “It just gets very heavy.” It causes uneasiness in your stomach. You simply never know what will befall somebody. However, that is simply the nature of the game in this league.
Logan Thomas, the tight end, was surrounded by a circle of cameras. His seven-year-old son sat behind him, calmly putting on his father’s large yellow gloves. The reporters left, and Thomas moved to his son, covering his head with his shoulder pads.
Thomas’s contract was up with the team he had grown up supporting, the one that had taken a chance on him in 2020 as a converted quarterback. He was unsure about his return plans. He pulled out his phone and took a photo of his kid.
Wearing his trademark bag, Marty Hurney, executive vice president of football for player personnel, darted in and out. With his red tie unfastened, General Manager Martin Mayhew spoke with his son.
For interviews on the team’s postgame radio broadcast, Rivera, Thomas, and wide receiver Terry McLaurin circled through a remote section of the room. Players wearing pricey loafers and immaculate Jordans began to drift out.
