Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas has just witnessed the disintegration of one of the NFL’s most talented secondaries with the departures of Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor.

It’s easy to see why he might be bitter, and how that might be driving his impassioned hold out. That and the belief that he’s worth more than the $8.5 million base salary he’s expected to earn this year.

“I’m standing on this because I’ve got to,” Thomas wrote in a recent article for the Players’ Tribune. “I’m standing strong when it comes to getting what I deserve. I’ve been one of the best defensive players in this league for the better part of a decade, and the numbers show that this team plays much better with me than without me. Beyond that, I still have some great years of football left in my tank. I’m not even close to slowing down. I’m still working to get better.”

Thomas also says if the Seahawks intend to deal him when his contract is up next year, he’d rather be traded right now.

“If the Seahawks don’t intend on having me around for the long-term, then I understand,” Thomas wrote. “And if they want to start over and rebuild, then that’s their right — it’s part of the business. It’s not what I want but I get it. All I ask, though, is that if that’s the case, and they don’t want me anymore — just please trade me to an organization that does. Please trade me to a team that wants me, so I can give my all to them for the rest of my career.”

The Seahawks, for their part, have shown no interest in negotiating with Thomas, so that once vaunted secondary could be entirely dismantled by the time the regular season begins.