Broncos to Honor Demaryius Thomas With Tribute in Sunday's Game vs. Lions
The Broncos announced on Friday that it will honor late wide receiver Demaryius Thomas with a pre-game moment of silence as well as a tribute to be played on the stadium's video boards when Denver faces the Lions on Sunday. Players will also wear decals on their helmets of Thomas's No. 88.
Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said there are still 10 players on the team who played with Thomas as well as more than 40 workers in the organization and support staff that were around him.
"A bunch of coaches that coached him, including [Running Backs Coach] Curtis Modkins, who recruited him to Georgia Tech and was one of his college coaches besides being on the staff here in 2018 with him," Fangio said in a release.
"Just seeing and feeling their reaction and hurt just tells you what a special player D.T. was. I never had the opportunity to meet him, but [him being] a special player and a special person is obvious by their responses."
Thomas, a former four-time pro bowl wide receiver with Denver, died Thursday. Thomas's family believes he suffered a seizure while showering, leading to his death, according to the Associated Press.
He would have been 34 this Christmas. Thomas—who spent most of his career with the Broncos—last played in the NFL in 2019 and officially announced his retirement from the league in June of 2021.
In his 10-year career, he earned a pair of All-Pro selections and earned four trips to the Pro Bowl. Thomas was born in Montrose, Ga., and played for Georgia Tech. He tallied 46 receptions for 1,154 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns that season in his junior season. He went on to be selected in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft, selected at No. 22 by the Broncos.
Former NFL teammates, other football stars and reporters across the league made tributes to honor his life on social media, including Broncos legend and president of football operations John Elway, tackle Garett Bolles and others.
"There are no words to describe the sudden loss of such a special player and special person," Elway said. "Demaryius overcame tremendous adversity in his life, growing into a great leader and one of the very best. He was light-hearted, easy going and loved by everyone. We will miss you, D.T."
Bolles, who was drafted in '17, was one of the 10 current Denver players to Thomas a teammate.
"His legacy will live on," Bolles said. "The one thing he always said was his name was going to be in these rafters, and everyone's going to know who he is for so many years.
"We've got to put 88 in our hearts, and hopefully he gives us that juice, he gives us that desire to go make the playoffs. That's what I feel like we need to do for him, and hopefully we do that."
Thomas won a Super Bowl alongside Peyton Manning in 2015. During his 10-season career between the Broncos, Texans, Patriots and Jets, he caught 724 passes, tallying 9,763 yards and 63 touchdowns.
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