By Jordan Long
Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas decided to leave the NFL game. He is going to retire as a member of the Denver Broncos. He will be a lock for the Broncos’ Ring of Fame but should be considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well.
Thomas played his college football for Georgia Tech from 2007 to 2009. In 3 seasons there he showed why he could be selected in the 1st-round. Thomas caught 120 passes for 2,339 yards and 15 touchdowns. The touchdowns were low but his speed helped him create separation from the defensive backs. When Thomas caught the football, it was for 1st-downs or longer, averaging 19.5 yards per catch. He was NFL ready and Thomas hoped his skills in college would help him in the NFL.
The Denver Broncos selected him with the 22nd overall pick in the 2010 Draft. Denver needed a wide receiver and they were eager to see if he would fit that need. In his first year, Thomas appeared in 10 games. He hauled in 22 passes for 283 yards and 2 touchdowns, a taste of what he could do at the NFL level.
In the 2012 offseason, Denver decided to sign free agent and future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning as their quarterback. This improved Thomas’ game even more. Manning found Thomas early and often in football games. These were for large gains. Starting in 2012, Thomas ended up with 5 straight seasons of 1,000 plus receiving yards.
His top season was 2014. He ended up with 1,619 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. He helped the Broncos earn a playoff spot 5 times and advance to the Super Bowl twice, Super Bowl 48 and 50. His most famous catch came in the 2011 Wild Card Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game went into overtime tied at 23. It was the first time new overtime rules were used in the playoffs which meant if the team who possessed the football first scores a field goal, the other team had a chance to match it or win it but if they scored a touchdown the game was over. Thomas caught a pass from Tim Tebow on the first play of overtime and took it to the house for 80 yards for a touchdown, ending the game.
In 10 playoff games for the Broncos, Thomas totaled 759 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns. His only Super Bowl win came in Super Bowl 50 as the Broncos knocked off the Carolina Panthers 24-10.
Thomas played in Denver until 8 games into the 2018 season. Denver traded Thomas to the Houston Texans on October 30, 2018, for a 4th round pick. Thomas appeared in 7 games for the Texans totaling 275 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns.
The only criticism with him as a member of the Denver Broncos was his drops when the football was thrown to him. There were times a football was in his hands and he was either thinking about how much green grass there was ahead of him once he caught the football or he was scared of getting hit by a defender. Broncoswire.usatoday.com stated he dropped 10 passes in 2012, 8 in 2013, 10 in 2014, and 9 in 2015. Even so, he still proved he was one of the top Broncos receivers of all time.
In 2019, his final year, he played 11 games for the New York Jets. He was not the same player with 433 receiving yards and 1 touchdown. It was time for him to walk away.
According to the Denverpost.com, Thomas said, “I’m going to retire and I’m going to retire a Denver Bronco. I’m honored, I’m grateful, I’m appreciative. I’m just happy to say I’m done and did well.”
Thomas finishes his career with 9,763 yards and 63 touchdowns. His average yards per catch was 13.5 yards. Thomas mostly protected the football when he ran. Defenders had a hard time punching the ball out of his arms. He ended up with only 10 fumbles.
The next stop for Thomas is the Broncos Ring of Fame. He totaled 665 receptions for 9,055 receiving yards, and 60 touchdowns as a member of the Denver Broncos. His receptions are 3rd in Broncos’ history but his yards and touchdowns are 2nd only to Rod Smith. The Broncos will put him in the Ring of Fame as one of the best Broncos ever to play the game. The Hall of Fame might be calling because he proved he was one of the top receivers when he played.
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