The Denver Broncos Ring of Fame currently has 35 members. Who should be the next name added?
The Ring of Fame for the Broncos is a historic and exclusive club, and it should be. To get in, a player must have played for the team for at least four seasons and been retired for at least five seasons. They also had to be very good, obviously.
The 35 men already on the list include some of the best players and coaches in team history as well as one of the best owners in sports history, Pat Bowlen.
So who should be the next name added to the Ring of Fame at Empower Field in Denver?
There are many deserving players who are not on the list, here are a few:
Both Ed McCaffrey and Steve Watson were wide receivers who spent nine seasons with the team. They both rank in the top 10 in each major statistical receiving category and in McCaffrey’s case, he was a key component on a team that won back-to-back Super Bowls.
He has also always remained close to the area and is currently the head coach at the University of Northern Colorado after coaching high school football at Valor Christian. Broncos fans would love to see him get his name on there.
Chris Harris is technically not retired and still looking to continue his playing career if a team picks him up. He is one of the best defensive backs in team history and should someday see his name up there.
Then there is Steve Foley, a player who spent his entire NFL career with the Broncos and is the team’s all-time leader in interceptions with 44. Why he is not already up there is curious, to say the least.
Demaryius Thomas should be the next Broncos player put on the Ring of Fame
As strong as Foley’s case is, the player that should have his name up there next is Demaryius Thomas. Sadly, Thomas passed away this past December at the young age of 33.
He ranks second on the team’s all-time list in receiving yardage and receiving touchdowns and is third in receptions. The list of contributions he made to the organization is quite long but it may not even be what he is most remembered for.
Thomas was not only a Ring of Famer on the field, he was one off the field as well. One of the most beloved players in team history, Thomas was a terrific role model for young kids and one of those guys who no one can say anything bad about.
Though Thomas played until 2019 and as a result has only been away from the playing field for two years, he technically would not be eligible for a few years. Perhaps new owner Rob Walton could make an exception to that rule and have the first player added to the Ring of Fame under his ownership be that of Thomas.
Fans would love that. DT deserves that.