CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Browns left tackle Joe Thomas has decided to walk away from the game of football.
After 11 years in the National Football League, Thomas informed the Browns of his decision to retire, and they announced the news through a post on their Twitter account Wednesday afternoon.
“This was an extremely difficult decision, but the right one for me and my family,” Thomas said in the story announcing his retirement. “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 the 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.”
Thomas’ last game and final year with the Browns came to a premature end, as he suffered a season-ending arm injury in a 12-9 setback against the Tennessee Titans at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 22, 2017.
Thomas suffered a left triceps injury in the third quarter and did not return to the game. After the game, the Browns confirmed Thomas needed further testing before determining what the rest of the season held for their 10-time Pro Bowl blocker.
Those tests revealed a tear of the triceps tendon and surgery was required to repair the damage.
“Joe means so much to me both personally and professionally,” Browns coach Hue Jackson said. “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.
“He earned the respect of teammates and peers around the league for the way he worked. To play 10,363 consecutive snaps, what a tremendous accomplishment. I don’t know if something like that will ever be matched again.”
Browns GM John Dorsey added, “I have watched Joe from afar throughout his career. I have nothing but respect for the way he has carried himself and the amazing things he has accomplished. He has played this game at an extremely high level. Joe is a heck of a football player and an even better man.”
In December of 2016, Thomas was selected to his 10th consecutive Pro Bowl, and went 10 for 10 in all-star game nods over his first decade as a professional since entering the league via the No. 3 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft out of the University of Wisconsin.
With that selection, Thomas became the first Browns player ever selected to participate in 10 Pro Bowls.
Thomas joined an elite group of athletes with the 10th straight selection, as defensive tackle Merlin Olsen (Los Angeles Rams), defensive back/running back Mel Renfro (Dallas Cowboys), running back Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions) and linebacker Lawrence Taylor (New York Giants) are the only other players who went 10 for 10 in Pro Bowl appearances over their first decade in the NFL.
Olsen, Renfro, Sanders and Taylor are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Prior to the season-ending injury, Thomas had played 10,363 consecutive snaps, which is believed to be the longest such streak in NFL history, and that is why Jackson told him “That I love him and I appreciate everything that he is” before the veteran left tackle left the field on that final October afternoon.
As a tribute to Thomas, the No. 10,363 will be added to The Ring of Honor this season.
“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. “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.
“One of the first ways we will acknowledge and honor his accomplishments is to enshrine the number 10,363 to recognize his consecutive snaps streak in the team’s Ring of Honor at a home game this season. It also won’t be long before he takes his rightful place down the road in Canton at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”