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Joseph Hayden Thomas (born December 4, 1984) is an American former professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was an
offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive (military), type of military operation * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Fighting words, spoken words which would have a tendency to cause acts of violence by the ...
for 11 seasons with the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
at
Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
, earned
unanimous All-American The College Football All-America Team is an honorific college football all-star team compiled after each NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) season to recognize that season's most outstanding performers at their respective positions. ...
honors, and was recognized as the top college interior lineman. The Browns chose Thomas with the third overall pick in the
2007 NFL draft The 2007 NFL draft was the 72nd annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draf ...
. He was invited to the
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...
in each of his first 10 seasons and did not miss a single play in his career until the 2017 season (his final season in the NFL); his 10,363 consecutive snaps played is the longest streak since the NFL began recording snap counts in 1999. He is regarded as one of the best offensive linemen of all time. In 2023, Thomas was elected to the
Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
in his first year of eligibility, becoming the first Cleveland Brown inductee since their reactivation in 1999.


Early life

Thomas was born in
Brookfield, Wisconsin Brookfield is a city in eastern Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. It had a population of 41,464 at the 2020 census. The city is adjacent to the Town of Brookfield and is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. History Brookfield i ...
. His parents are Eric and Sally Thomas. He attended
Brookfield Central High School Brookfield Central High School is a comprehensive public secondary school located in the city of Brookfield, Wisconsin, United States. About 1200 students attend every year. It is a sister school to Brookfield East High School, also in Brookfiel ...
, and played
right tackle A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a tackle played on both offense and Defensive tackle, defense. In the modern system of ...
,
defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
,
tight end The tight end (TE) is an offense (sports), offensive position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football. It is a hybrid that combines the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a receiver (football), receiv ...
, fullback,
placekicker In gridiron football, the placekicker (PK), or simply kicker (K), is the player responsible for attempts at scoring Field goal (football), field goals and extra points. In most cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist ...
, and punter for the Brookfield Central Lancers
high school football High school football, also known as prep football, is gridiron football played by High school (North America), high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular high school sports, interscholastic sports in both c ...
team. He was listed among the top 20 offensive tackles nationally,
PrepStar ''PrepStar College Recruiting'', known also as ''PrepStar'', is an online magazine at www.prepstar.com, which was established in 1982. It provides information on the top football and basketball prospects in the United States. The online magazi ...
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
, second-team All-America
offensive guard Offensive may refer to: * Offensive (military), type of military operation * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative (Netherlands), Socialist Alternative * Fighting words, spoken words which would have a tende ...
according to ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'', member of the ''
Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' (commonly referred to as the ''Freep'') is a major daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest local newspaper owned by Gannett (the publisher of ''USA Today''), and is operated by the Detro ...
'' All-Midwest team, ''
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper and also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely read. It was purchased by the G ...
'' first-team all-state
defensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line (D ...
and second-team all-state offensive guard as a junior, and also received first-team all-state honors at defensive end from the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) and
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
. He was recognized as the WFCA 2002 Defensive Player of the Year. He had 85
tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position) A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...
and 12 sacks as a senior. As a junior, he had 70 tackles and eight sacks. He was listed as the third best prospect in the state of Wisconsin in 2003. Aside from his athletic prowess, Thomas performed well academically. He was a four-year honor roll student and a part of the
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
Academic All-America team and played in the 2003
U.S. Army All-American Bowl The All-American Bowl (currently branded as the Navy All-American Bowl for sponsorship reasons) is a high school football all-star game, held annually at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Typically played in January, the All-American Bowl is p ...
. Regarded as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Thomas was ranked as the No. 18 offensive tackle prospect in the class of 2003.
Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
,
Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
,
Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
, and Notre Dame vied for his
recruitment Recruitment is #Process, the overall process of identifying, sourcing, screening, shortlisting, and interviewing candidates for Job (role), jobs (either permanent or temporary) within an organization. Recruitment also is the process involved in ...
before he signed his
letter of intent A letter of intent (LOI or LoI, or Letter of Intent) is a document outlining the understanding between two or more parties which they intend to formalize in a legally binding agreement. The concept is similar to a heads of agreement, term she ...
to Wisconsin in January 2003. In
track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...
, Thomas set the school record for
shot put The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical Ball (sports), ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the Olympic Games, modern Olympics since their 1896 Summer Olym ...
and discus with throws of and . He lettered four times in track and field. He also holds the school indoor record in the shot put ().


College career

Thomas enrolled in the
University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...
, where he played for the
Wisconsin Badgers football The Wisconsin Badgers football program represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the sport of American football. Wisconsin competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Bi ...
team from 2003 to 2006. As a
true freshman The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football; for a list of terms unique to that code, see '' Glossary of Canadian football''. 0–9 ...
, he mostly saw action as a blocking tight end in the 2003 season. In 2004, he started all 12 games at left tackle, helping the Badgers' ground game with
Anthony Davis Anthony Marshon Davis Jr. (born March 11, 1993), nicknamed "AD" and "the Brow", is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Davis, a Power forward (basketball), power f ...
and Matt Bernstein in the backfield. In 2005,
Barry Alvarez Barry Lee Alvarez (born December 30, 1946) is an American former college football coach and athletic director at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served as the head football coach at Wisconsin for 16 seasons, from 1990 to 2005, compili ...
's final season as the Badgers' head coach, he started all 13 games at left tackle and was named a first-team
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
by ''
Pro Football Weekly ''Pro Football Weekly'' (sometimes shortened to ''PFW'') is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, and website that covers the National Football League (NFL). It was owned by Pro Football Weekly LLC and headquartered in Riverwoods, Illin ...
''. He blocked for Brian Calhoun, who had an impressive year, racking up 1,500 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards. Thomas considered declaring for the
2006 NFL draft The 2006 NFL draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offe ...
, where he was projected among the top 15 picks (and projected as the second offensive lineman behind
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
prospect
D'Brickashaw Ferguson D'Brickashaw Montgomery Ferguson (born December 10, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle for 10 seasons with the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for ...
). The Badgers were invited to the
Capital One Bowl The Citrus Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group that also organizes the Pop-Tarts Bowl and Florida Classic. The g ...
against Auburn, where they prevailed 24–10. Unfortunately, Thomas tore his ACL playing defensive end because of injuries to other players at the position. The Badgers finished that season 10–3 with a #15 national ranking. Soon after the game, Thomas announced that he would be returning to Wisconsin for his final year. His senior season in 2006 began with high expectations. As the offensive
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
, he started all 13 games and blocked for P. J. Hill, Jr., who recorded over 1,500 rushing yards. Following the regular season, Thomas won the Outland Trophy as the nation's top interior lineman, and he was recognized as a unanimous first-team
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
. Thomas and the Badgers were again invited to the Capital One Bowl, this time against
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
. The Badgers prevailed over the Razorbacks by a score of 17–14 and finished the season 12–1. He also excelled at
shot put The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical Ball (sports), ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the Olympic Games, modern Olympics since their 1896 Summer Olym ...
for the Badgers'
track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...
team. He garnered national recognition for record-breaking performances in shot put and
discus throw The discus throw (), also known as disc throw, is a track and field sport in which the participant athlete throws an oblate spheroid weight (object), weight called a discus in an attempt to mark a further distance than other competitors. It is a ...
. He was a 2005 second-team All-Big Ten Conference selection, as he qualified for the 2004 and 2005 NCAA Regionals in the shot put and discus throw. He majored in business administration while at the University of Wisconsin. This is where he met his future wife, Annie Nelson of Hudson, Wisconsi


Professional career


2007

The
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
drafted Thomas in the first round of the
2007 NFL draft The 2007 NFL draft was the 72nd annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draf ...
with the third overall selection. Thomas spent the draft Fishing#Recreational fishing, fishing on
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
with his father, father-in-law, and Joe Panos, who was also a standout offensive lineman at Wisconsin and is a former Brookfield resident. Thomas discovered he was drafted by the Browns via
cell phone A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This radio ...
. Thomas signed a six-year contract worth $43 million, $23 million guaranteed, including a voidable year, with the Browns. Thomas won the starting left tackle job, with previous Browns left tackle
Kevin Shaffer Kevin Carl Shaffer (born March 2, 1980) is a former American football offensive tackle. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL draft. He played college football at Tulsa. Shaffer also played for the Clevel ...
moving to right tackle. He made his NFL debut versus the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
in week 1 and played every offensive snap for the Browns in 2007. Thomas quickly became one of the top-performing members of the 2007 draft class and was named the NFL's Rookie of the Month for November. Thomas was selected to the
2008 Pro Bowl The 2008 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2007 NFL season, 2007 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 10, 2008. The game was televised in the United States by NFL on Fox, Fox and b ...
, replacing
Jason Peters Jason Raynard Peters (born January 22, 1982) is an American former professional American football, football player who was an Tackle (gridiron football position), offensive tackle. He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks footbal ...
of the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team. Thomas came in second in the voting for NFL Rookie of the Year. He was the only player to receive votes besides the eventual winner,
Adrian Peterson Adrian Lewis Peterson (; born March 21, 1985) is an American former professional football running back who played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football hist ...
.


2008

For the second consecutive season, Thomas started each game for the Browns. Thomas was selected to his second Pro Bowl. During the 2008 campaign, the Browns offensive line only allowed 19 sacks, which was tied for the third fewest in franchise history. Thomas played in every snap during the season, though the Browns finished the season with a 4–12 record.


2009

Thomas continued his role as a reliable presence for the Browns' offensive line in the 2009 season. He started all 16 games in another Pro Bowl season. For the first time as a professional, Thomas was named as a First-team All-Pro. The Browns finished with a 5–11 record.


2010

For the fourth consecutive season, Thomas started all 16 games for the Browns. However, the Browns once again finished with a 5–11 record. Thomas earned Pro Bowl and First-team All-Pro honors once again. He was ranked 43rd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011.


2011

On August 22, 2011, Thomas and the Browns agreed to a record setting seven-year, $84 million extension with $44 million guaranteed. The deal was negotiated by his agent Peter Schaffer and Matt Thomas and Tom Heckert of the Browns. On December 27, 2011, Thomas was named to his fifth straight Pro Bowl since the Browns drafted him. Since 1970, Thomas and Richmond Webb of the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
are the only NFL offensive linemen to make the Pro Bowl in each of their first five seasons. Thomas and Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown are the only Browns players ever to be selected to the Pro Bowl for the first five seasons of their careers. Hall of Fame running back
Leroy Kelly Leroy Kelly (born May 20, 1942) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1964 to 1973. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1 ...
was the last Browns player to earn five or more consecutive invitations to the Pro Bowl. For the third consecutive season, he was named as a First-team All-Pro. He was ranked 82nd by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012.


2012

Thomas started all 16 games for the Browns for the sixth consecutive season. However, the Browns continued to struggle with a 5–11 record. On December 26, 2012, Thomas was named to his sixth straight Pro Bowl. Thomas joined a short list of only 15 players who have made the Pro Bowl in each of their first six seasons in NFL history. He was selected for the All Pro 2nd Team by the Associated Press. He was ranked 28th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2013 The NFL Top 100 Players of 2013 was the third season of the series. It ended with reigning National Football League Most Valuable Player Award, NFL MVP Adrian Peterson being ranked #1, while Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, Super Bowl MVP J ...
.


2013

Thomas continued to showcase his reliability and durability by starting all 16 games for the Browns once again. On December 27, 2013, Thomas was voted to his seventh straight Pro Bowl selection. Thomas joins Hall of Famer
Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown (February 17, 1936 – May 18, 2023) was an American professional American football, football player, civil rights activist, and actor. He played as a Fullback (gridiron football), fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the ...
as the only two Browns to make the Pro Bowl in their first seven seasons. Thomas on making his seventh straight Pro Bowl became one of only 11 players in NFL history to make it their first seven seasons. The list of other players who have done it and gone on to make the Hall of Fame includes
Dick Butkus Richard Marvin Butkus (December 9, 1942 – October 5, 2023) was an American professional football linebacker, sports commentator, and actor. He played football for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1965 to 1973. He w ...
,
Joe Greene Charles Edward Greene (born September 24, 1946), better known as "Mean" Joe Greene, is an American former professional football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1969 to 1981. A ...
,
Franco Harris Franco Dok Harris (March 7, 1950 – December 20, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a fullback for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football fo ...
,
Merlin Olsen Merlin Jay Olsen (; September 15, 1940 – March 11, 2010) was an American professional football player, announcer, and actor. For his entire 15-year professional football career he was a defensive tackle with the Los Angeles Rams in the Nationa ...
,
Mel Renfro Melvin Lacy Renfro (born December 30, 1941) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 14-year career as a cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He is a member of the Pro Football H ...
,
Barry Sanders Barry Sanders (born July 16, 1968) is an American former professional football running back who played for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. Sanders led the league in rushing yards four times and in rushin ...
,
Lawrence Taylor Lawrence Julius Taylor (born February 4, 1959), nicknamed "L.T.", is an American former professional football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the New York Giants. He is almost universally regard ...
and
Derrick Thomas Derrick Vincent Thomas (January 1, 1967 – February 8, 2000), nicknamed "D. T.", was an American professional football linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Considered one of the greatest pass rushers of ...
. He earned First-team All-Pro honors for the fourth time in his career. He was ranked 18th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.


2014

In the 2014 season, Thomas started all 16 games of the Browns' 7–9 campaign. On December 23, 2014, Thomas made NFL history, becoming the only offensive lineman to be named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first eight seasons. He earned First-team All-Pro honors for the fifth time. He was ranked 25th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.


2015

Thomas was once again one of the few bright spots in a dismal 3–13 season for the Browns. He started all 16 games and earned his ninth Pro Bowl nomination and sixth First-team All-Pro nomination. At the end of the 2015 season, Thomas was named the recipient of
Pro Football Focus Pro Football Focus (also written as ProFootballFocus, and often referred to by its initials, PFF) is a sports analytics company that focuses on thorough analysis of the National Football League (NFL) and NCAA Division-I football in the United Sta ...
's ''Bruce Matthews Award'' for best offensive lineman in the league. He was ranked 23rd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.


2016

For the tenth straight season, Thomas started in all 16 games. He kept his Pro Bowl streak alive in 2016 being named to his 10th straight Pro Bowl, despite the Browns finishing with a league worst 1–15 record. He was ranked 25th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.


2017

In 2017, Thomas revealed that he had been experiencing early stage memory loss, but that he would not allow it to affect his career. On September 17, 2017, Thomas played his 10,000th consecutive NFL snap, having never missed a play. He is the first player to reach the milestone in NFL history. Thomas'
iron man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
consecutive snap streak ended at 10,363 in Week #7 on October 22, 2017, when he injured his triceps while blocking the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
' Brian Orakpo. The next day, it was revealed that he suffered a torn triceps in his left arm, which prematurely ended his 2017 season as he was placed on injured reserve. On November 4, the Browns gave Thomas a raise in pay. On March 14, 2018, Thomas announced his retirement from the NFL.


Legacy

In 2019, Thomas was named to the College Football Hall of Fame. Despite retiring with a career record of 48 wins, 128 losses, and no playoff appearances, Thomas provided a bright spot on the often struggling Cleveland Browns, playing 10,363 consecutive snaps (the longest streak since snap counts were first recorded in 1999), being voted to ten Pro Bowls, six first-team All-Pro selections, and two second-team All-Pro selections during his 11 seasons. He has widely been regarded as one of the greatest offensive linemen in NFL history, particularly noted as one of the best left tackles. In April 2020, Thomas was named to the
NFL 2010s All-Decade team The National Football League 2010s All-Decade Team is composed of outstanding performers in the National Football League in the ten years spanning 2010–2019. Only a player or coach's performance during the decade was used as criteria for vot ...
. Noted for his durability, quickness, and athleticism at left tackle, many attribute his legendary pass blocking skills to his unorthodox style, utilizing a "shot put" method to kick off the line. Of 6,680 pass blocking attempts, Thomas allowed only 30 sacks during his career. He was also known for rarely committing holding penalties. Thomas is the only offensive lineman in NFL history to be voted to ten consecutive Pro Bowls. He was chosen on NFL.com as the 7th greatest offensive tackle of all time, as well as the third greatest Cleveland Brown of all time. He became eligible for the
Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
in 2023 and was inducted that year.


Post-retirement

After retiring, Thomas lost 50 pounds. Thomas is an analyst for the
NFL Network NFL Network (occasionally abbreviated on-air as NFLN) is an American sports-oriented pay television network owned by the National Football League NTP and is part of NFL Media, which also includes NFL.com, NFL Films, NFL Mobile, NFL Now and N ...
, appearing on pre-game and post-game ''
Thursday Night Football ''Thursday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''TNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that broadcast primarily on Thursday nights. Most of the games kick off at 8:15 Eastern Time (8:20 prior to ...
'' shows. He now co-hosts a popular podcast, the ''ThomaHawk Show'', with fellow former NFL and Cleveland Browns player
Andrew Hawkins Andrew Austin Wyatt Hawkins (born March 10, 1986) is an American former professional football wide receiver. He played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns and two seasons for the Mon ...
. He also continues to do media work with the Browns organization, including game analysis and breakdowns with the “Cup of Joe” segments beginning with the 2020 season. Thomas competed in season 2 of '' The Titan Games'' as a Central Division Titan. He was a 3-time undefeated Titan in the Central Division, but missed out on being the Central Champion. He was a guest on a 2021 episode of '' In Depth with Graham Bensinger''. Thomas is a partner in several Mission BBQ franchises. Starting in the 2024 season, Thomas intends to coach with the Munich Ravens in the European League of Football. Joe Thomas works as an analyst for select NFL games on Westward One.


References


External links

*
Wisconsin Badgers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Joe 1984 births Living people All-American college football players American Conference Pro Bowl players American football offensive tackles Cleveland Browns players NFL Network people Sportspeople from Brookfield, Wisconsin Players of American football from Waukesha County, Wisconsin Unconferenced Pro Bowl players Wisconsin Badgers football players Wisconsin Badgers men's track and field athletes Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees European League of Football coaches College Football Hall of Fame inductees