Broncos Will Honor Demaryius Thomas, Star Wide Receiver Who Died at 33

Thomas, a member of the Super Bowl championship team in 2016, will be added to Denver’s Ring of Fame in Week 7 this season.

Demaryius Thomas of the Denver Broncos speaks during the Broncos' media availability for Super Bowl 50 at the Santa Clara Marriott in Santa Clara, Calif., on Feb. 3, 2016. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The Denver Broncos will induct Demaryius Thomas into the team’s Ring of Fame this season.

A first round draft pick of the Broncos in 2010, Thomas was a key contributor to the Broncos’ success in the Peyton Manning era, and won Super Bowl 50 with the team. He is the franchise’s second-leading receiver in yards and touchdowns. Thomas will be honored at the team’s Week 7 matchup against the New York Giants in October.

“Demaryius Thomas’ election to the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame—in his first year of eligibility—is a testament to the indelible mark he left on our organization and community,” Broncos owner and CEO Greg Penner and his wife, Carrie Walton Penner, said in a statement on the team’s website. “One of the most beloved players and greatest wide receivers in franchise history, Demaryius inspired our fans with breathtaking athleticism, record-setting performances and a joyful, infectious spirit. While we wish ‘D.T.’ was with us to celebrate this special moment, we look forward to honoring Demaryius alongside his Super Bowl 50 teammates during an unforgettable Alumni Weekend.”

“For Demaryius and our family, this is a dream come true,” Thomas’s mother, Katina Smith, added. “Like I told Mr. Greg Penner, one of the things D.T. always said was he didn’t want to be forgotten when he was finished with the game. It wasn’t just about football for him but how he wanted to be remembered as a person. This will make Demaryius’ dream come true to be part of the prestigious Denver Broncos Ring of Fame.”

Thomas was drafted by the Broncos out of Georgia Tech with the 22nd overall pick. Three picks later, the Broncos drafted Florida quarterback Tim Tebow; the team also drafted Minnesota WR Eric Decker in the fourth round. Thomas played in 21 games with just seven starts in his first two seasons. In that time, he had 54 receptions for 834 yards and six  touchdowns. But he exploded onto the scene in the 2011 playoffs. He had 204 yards and a touchdown, including the 80-yard walk-off touchdown in overtime in the Broncos’ 29-23 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, which became known as the “3:16 game” due to Tebow’s devout Christian faith, coinciding with several statistics having the numbers 3-1-6, a reference to John 3:16.

Peyton Manning signed with the Broncos in 2012, and Tebow was traded to the New York Jets. Thomas had his first 1,000-yard receiving season in 2012, with 94 catches for 1,434 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Broncos cruised to a 13-3 record and the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, but lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round.

Thomas, Decker, and free agent addition Wes Welker were the leaders of a historic offense in 2013. Thomas caught 1,430 of Manning’s 5,477 passing yards and 14 of his 55 passing TDs; Manning’s passing yards and TDs are NFL records that still stand. In the final regular season game against the Oakland Raiders, Thomas caught Manning’s 55th touchdown pass, which also broke the single-season passing yards mark. His 14 TDs were a career high. The Broncos marched all the way to Super Bowl XLVIII, but were blown out by the Seattle Seahawks 43-8.

Thomas had career highs in receptions with 111 and receiving yards with 1,614 in 2014, along with 11 TDs; he set the franchise record for receiving yards in a season. He followed it up with 1,304 yards and six TDs in 2015. The Broncos won Super Bowl 50 against the Carolina Panthers, 24-10.

After the Super Bowl win and Manning’s retirement, Thomas had one more 1,000-yard season in 2016, with 1,083 yards and five TDs. He was traded to the Houston Texans midway through the 2018 season, and spent 2019 with the New York Jets. He retired from football in 2021.

Thomas’s 9,055 career receiving yards and 60 TDs are second in franchise history to Rod Smith; his 665 receptions are third. He owns the team’s single-game receiving-yards record with 226, and had three of the top five receiving seasons in terms of yards. His five career 1,000-yard seasons are second in team history, again to Rod Smith. Thomas was a five-time Pro Bowler and a two-time Second-Team All-Pro.

Thomas died suddenly at his home in Roswell, Georgia, in December 2021. Medical examiner’s reports from the time said he died from “complications of a seizure disorder.” Family members said he had suffered seizures for several months prior. He was previously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a disease common among football players who take many hits to the head. Thomas was 33.