Joe Thomas has decided to end his career as one of the best players to don a Browns uniform and one of the greatest left tackles of all time.
Thomas, who became the face of the Browns and a surefire Hall of Famer during his 11 NFL seasons, announced his retirement in a news release Wednesday afternoon at the age of 33.
A decision had been looming ever since the 10-time Pro Bowl selection's remarkable streak of 10,363 consecutive snaps ended Oct. 22, when he suffered a season-ending torn left triceps against the Tennessee Titans.
"This was an extremely difficult decision, but the right one for me and my family," Thomas said in the release. "Playing in the NFL has taken a toll on my body and I can no longer physically compete at the level I need to.
"From the moment I was drafted, the city embraced me in a way that I could never fully describe. I am proud to call Cleveland home. The loyalty and passion of Browns fans is unmatched and it was an honor to play in front of them from the past 11 years. I would like to thank all of the coaches, teammates, staff, fans and everyone who has shown me support throughout my career. Even though I will be hanging up my cleats, I will always be a Cleveland Brown."
The Browns will hold a retirement news conference with Thomas at 3:30 p.m. Monday at team headquarters in Berea, Ohio.
In recent months, Thomas repeatedly said he would consider his health, performance and love of the game while pondering his future. Shortly after the injury occurred, Thomas insisted he felt as if he were playing at the top of his game and still having fun. Whether he would attempt a comeback, he explained, would come down to his overall health.
Thomas revealed in January the knee and back problems he's endured for years are actually greater causes for concern than his surgically reattached triceps tendon.
"As your body fills up with inflammation, your muscles shut down, it's a protection mechanism that your body has, specifically, in my knee, which is the main reason I feel like I had to retire," Thomas said Wednesday while discussing his retirement on The ThomaHawk Show podcast he co-hosts with former Browns wide receiver Andrew Hawkins.
"For me, looking down the barrel of a knee replacement, I think that definitely becomes a decision where you're like, 'Hey, this football [career] has been amazing. It's been more than I could ever have expected.' But you have to take other things into consideration if you're deciding if you're going to be able to play football anymore."
Thomas barely practiced the past few years because his body is so worn down. He has admitted to playing through a torn lateral collateral ligament, three torn medial collateral ligaments, a back spasm that lasted for four weeks and two high-ankle sprains. Last year, he said he suffers from memory loss but isn't sure whether it's a byproduct of football.
Yet it wasn't until Thomas gave Titans outside linebacker Brian Orakpo a routine shove at the end of a 3-yard rush by running back Duke Johnson with 5:35 left in the third quarter of a 12-9 overtime loss at FirstEnergy Stadium that the iron man on the left side of the Browns' offensive line was sidelined for the first time as a professional athlete.
The Browns believe Thomas' stunning snap streak is the longest in league history. Thomas eclipsed 10,000 snaps in a row Sept. 17 in Baltimore, a milestone Browns center JC Tretter likened to the 2,632 consecutive games Cal Ripken Jr. started and played for the Baltimore Orioles from 1982-98.
Thomas also garnered All-Pro honors eight times, including six first-team selections (2009-11 and 2013-15). According to ProFootballFocus.com, Thomas allowed just 30 sacks in 6,680 career pass-block snaps.
Those accolades make Thomas a no-brainer for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. He will be eligible for induction in five years.
"Joe has been a pillar of our organization and one of the greatest to put on a Cleveland Browns uniform," Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in the release. "We want to thank him for everything he has done for the Browns and the Northeast Ohio community. We should all strive for the standard Joe has set to always be available, put the team above yourself and always give maximum effort."
Thomas is the only player in team history to win its Walter Payton Man of the Year distinction multiple times (2010, 2012 and 2016), and he was one of three finalists in 2012 for the leaguewide award. He's also the only player in Browns history to be voted the Dino Lucarelli "Good Guy" Award winner for cooperation with local media and community involvement more than once (2010 and 2013).
"Joe means so much to me both personally and professionally," Browns coach Hue Jackson said in the release. "Joe has been not just a tremendous Cleveland Brown, but one of the best to ever play in the National Football League. I appreciate everything he has done for this organization and not just on the field, his leadership and what he brought to the locker room, as a coach you couldn't ask for a better captain than Joe Thomas."
