It’s a sad day in the NFL.
News broke overnight of the tragic death of former Denver Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas at just 33 years old. A former first-round draft pick by Denver out of Georgia Tech in 2010, Thomas spent nine seasons with the Broncos.
Just as Andy Reid arrived as the head coach in Kansas City, Thomas was hitting his stride as a player for Denver. Four of his 33 games with 100 or more recieving yards came against the Chiefs, tied for the most against a single opponent in his career. Apart from competing against him annually for several seasons, Reid had a chance to coach Thomas in the 2016 Pro Bowl.
Asked to speak on Thomas on Friday, Reid recalled the great person and player who will be missed by the entire NFL community.
“Yeah, (Demaryius Thomas was a) great person,” Reid told reporters. “(He) did a ton for people in the Denver community and elsewhere. Very smart, and just a good person. That’s what I remember for him. And then, you know, a heck of a football player. My heart goes out to his family, the whole NFL family, you guys are included in this. We’re all feeling for his family right now.”
Thomas won a championship with the Broncos in Super Bowl 50, but only played in Denver two more seasons before he was traded to the Houston Texans. He’d finished his career spending time with the New York Jets in 2019, where he became a team captain, before sitting out the 2020 NFL season. Thomas officially retired from the NFL in June of 2021.
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