Former Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has officially retired from pro football at the age of 33. Thomas will go down as one of the best wide receivers to ever put on a Denver Broncos uniform, and he had the opportunity to play with one of the best quarterbacks in league history — Peyton Manning. Thomas also came into the NFL with Tim Tebow back in the 2010 NFL Draft as the team’s top two picks in the class.
With his retirement now official, the Denver Broncos’ PR team has done an outstanding job of providing coverage as well as getting a couple of cameos from both Manning and Tebow to reflect on their time throwing passes to Thomas.
First, from The Sheriff himself, Peyton Manning.
“I always had great respect for your toughness, your work ethic, your fearlessness across the middle, your ability to make big catches in big games. … You did it the right way.”
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) June 28, 2021
Peyton Manning on Demaryius Thomas: pic.twitter.com/3RhBODuhP8
Shortly after releasing the video Manning sent in, the Broncos posted a rather surprising message from Tim Tebow.
“You made other people’s lives better because they were in your presence.” @TimTebow on Demaryius Thomas: pic.twitter.com/as8mHVYKVE
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) June 28, 2021
If those two don’t hit you right in your Denver Broncos feels, I’m not sure what will.
Both Peyton Manning and Tim Tebow are key figures in one of the most exciting and prosperous decades of Denver Broncos football, even if that success only lasted for half of the decade.
After Tebow and Thomas were drafted together in the 2010 offseason, they dealt with a truly ugly rookie season for the Denver Broncos as a team. Josh McDaniels was fired as the team’s head coach and we never got to see what could have been with his plans for Tebow at QB.
When John Elway and John Fox were hired prior to the 2011 season, Tebow was the backup behind Kyle Orton for just over a quarter of the season. Once Tebow got into the starting lineup, crazy things started happening at the end of games and along with some superhuman efforts from Demaryius Thomas, the Broncos won enough games to win the AFC West in 2011 when this happened in the playoffs.
First OT play in the 2011 AFC Wild Card?
— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2019
80-yard walk-off TD to @DemaryiusT.
How @TimTebow pulled off the Miracle at Mile High. 👏
📺: NFL 100 GREATEST PLAYS | Continues FRIDAY at 8pm ET on @nflnetwork #NFL100 pic.twitter.com/STxaXmSYbv
This play is entrenched in Denver Broncos history as one of the best single plays, ever, period.
Thomas and Tebow shared plenty of other memorable plays that season, including some big plays against the Minnesota Vikings in an exciting back-and-forth victory for the Broncos, a touchdown connection against the Chicago Bears in one of many thrilling come-from-behind wins, and some other huge connections in that Steelers game when Thomas went for over 200 yards.
After the 2011 season, the Broncos brought in Peyton Manning in one of the great free agent moves of all-time in any pro sports league, and Manning instantly turned Thomas into a superstar.
Thomas averaged 1,432 yards in his first two seasons with Manning throwing passes, and from 2012-15 when Manning was in Denver, he caught 41 regular season touchdowns and another five playoff touchdowns.
One of his 41 regular-season touchdowns was a historic milestone for Peyton Manning against the 49ers.
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Thomas was on the receiving end of some of the biggest passes not only in Denver Broncos history, but in NFL history. Whether it was Tim Tebow, Peyton Manning, Kyle Orton, Brock Osweiler, or Trevor Siemian throwing the passes, Thomas was a special talent who made them all look really good.