Former Denver Broncos star wide receiver Demaryius Thomas died Thursday.
He was 33.
The Broncos confirmed various media reports of Thomas’ death. In a statement, the team said:
"We have lost an incredible player and a special person in Demaryius Thomas. Our hearts and deepest sympathies go out to the Thomas family and all who are grieving this unimaginable loss." Police told TMZ Sports that Thomas was found dead in his Atlanta-area home on Thursday.
“Preliminary information is that his death stems from a medical issue, and our investigators currently have no reason to believe otherwise,” Roswell, Georgia, police officer Tim Lupo wrote in an email to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Denver Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas
Former Denver Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas, seen here in 2018, died on Thursday. He was 33.
Thomas played in the NFL from 2010-2019, almost exclusively for the Broncos, who took him with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2010 draft out of Georgia Tech. Thomas played three seasons with the Yellow Jackets and racked up 1,154 yards and eight touchdowns during his junior season in 2019 before turning pro.
Thomas went just three picks ahead of Tim Tebow in Round 1 of that draft.
The four-time Pro Bowler thrived alongside Peyton Manning in Denver during the 2015 season’s Super Bowl run and recorded 1,304 yards and six touchdowns that season.
Thomas is also credited with one of the more memorable moments in Broncos playoff history, when he caught an 80-yard touchdown from Tebow on the first play of overtime to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2011 wild-card round.
Thomas would put together three consecutive Pro Bowl seasons after that. From 2012 to 2016, he would have more than 1,000 receiving yards. He quickly became the top target for Peyton Manning when the Hall of Famer joined the Broncos in 2012. The connection quickly elevated the Broncos to one of the best teams in the NFL and it culminated in one Super Bowl title and another Super Bowl appearance.
Thomas would later play for the Houston Texans and New York Jets. He had 724 catches for 9,763 yards and 63 touchdowns during his career.
