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Denver Broncos, Julius Thomas in Bizarre Plot Twist

By Ian St. Clair

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Dec 22, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas (80) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 37-28. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Talk about a crazy season for Julius Thomas.

Prior to the St. Louis Rams game, he was the best tight end in the NFL with a chance to shatter the NFL record for touchdowns by a tight end. It was thought Thomas may even challenge the NFL record for touchdown catches with the pace he was on.

Now, Thomas doesn’t see the field let alone catch touchdowns or even get targets. That distinction now belongs to Virgil Green, who caught his first career touchdown against the Oakland Raiders.

With the Denver Broncos now off the rest of the week for their bye, is Thomas useless? Is he no longer a part of the Denver offense?

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Questions have started to surface on his toughness and how bad he wants it. There’s also speculation Thomas knows he’s in for a life-changing amount of cash this offseason (in Denver or not) and he’s not risking himself or that payday.

If you watched the Monday Night game against the Cincinnati Bengals and how weak he was on that interception, it’s not that far fetched.

Have the Broncos had enough? Is Thomas just filling up a roster spot?

He can’t block, so he’s useless in the running game.

He’s proven he won’t go 100 percent every play, as Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and Peyton Manning do.

Dec 28, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Oakland Raiders cornerback D.J. Hayden (25) interferes on a pass intended for Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (10) in the third quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Raiders 47-14. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Perhaps Thomas is upset that he hasn’t gotten paid yet and is taking his ball and going home.

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    • All the recent signs point to, “yes.” Of course, this is all speculation, but it doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to put the pieces together.

    Or perhaps his ankle is way worse than we or even the organization knows. But that leads to the question: Why is Thomas active? It’s not like he’s a well-rounded tight end. He catches passes and runs decent routes. That’s all he brings to the equation. When the game gets physical he turns into Eric Decker.

    The other possibility is that Denver is playing possum with Thomas. The Broncos haven’t utilized him over the last six games to lull opponents to sleep and forget about him.

    If he doesn’t see the field or even get targeted, there’s no need for defenses to put much effort or focus on him. The goal being whoever Denver plays in the divisional round of the playoffs gets fooled and Thomas goes off.

    Regardless of why it’s happening, it’s bizarre to see the fall of Thomas; especially when you think back to the start of the season.

    As the Broncos embark on their journey for a third Lombardi Trophy, this plot twist definitely brings the drama.

    Dec 7, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas (80) before the start of the game against the Buffalo Bills at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

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