Joe Thomas rejected Manning, broke down after Brady loss — SkimNews
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- Joe Thomas was drafted third overall by the Browns in 2007 and accumulated 10 Pro Bowl selections, six first-team All-Pro nods, two second-team All-Pro nods, and a 2010 All-Decade team selection, while Cleveland went 48-112 in his first 10 seasons — second-worst in the NFL.
- Tom Brady torched the Browns 33-13 in Week 5 of the 2016 season at Cleveland, going 28-of-40 for 406 yards and a 127.7 passer rating, a loss that dropped the Browns to 0-5.
- Thomas broke down crying in the car after the game, with ice on both elbows and knees, telling his wife "I played a perfect game, and we lost by 30," which prompted him to seek help from the team's psychologist.
- Peyton Manning called Thomas in 2015 after Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady tore his ACL, asking him to go to GM Ray Farmer's office and request a trade to Denver — Thomas declined out of loyalty to Cleveland.
- Manning escalated his pitch with humor, joking Thomas should "pull your pants down and take a shit on his desk" to force a trade, but Thomas still refused.
- Manning went on to win Super Bowl 50 with the Broncos, meaning Thomas unknowingly turned down a championship ring by staying in Cleveland.
Why it matters: Thomas's account reframes one of the NFL's great career what-ifs: a 10-time Pro Bowler spent a decade gaslighting himself into believing each Browns roster could compete, and his loyalty to Cleveland cost him the one outcome every player chases — a Super Bowl ring that Manning won in Denver the year after Thomas said no.
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