Thomas was prepared to take 1-year deal before offer from Ravens

Even Earl Thomas was surprised to receive the Baltimore Ravens' offer of four years and $55 million on the first day of NFL free agency.

The former All-Pro free safety broke his leg for the second time in three seasons during 2018 and was set to hit the open market at the age of 30. With that in mind, he was prepared to accept a guaranteed one-year deal for $12 million with an undisclosed team.

And then the Ravens came calling.

"I was shocked. I was blessed," Thomas told Peter King of NBC Sports.

"I thought I was signing for one year somewhere else and my agent said, 'I think you're going to like this.'"

Thomas went on to ink the eighth-richest deal that's been agreed upon in the new league year.