 During that season, he would miss the final 11 games after suffering torn ligaments in his left ankle and being placed on the injured reserve list.On February 19, 2003, Thomas was released because of salary cap considerations.During his time with the Cowboys, he served primarily as Emmitt Smith's lead blocker for four of his five seasons, eventually paving the way as Smith ran for 109 yards on 24 carries, while becoming the NFL's all-time leading rusher versus the Seattle Seahawks on October 27, 2002.