They were a heck of a duo. Demaryius Thomas immediately became the favorite receiver for Tennessee football legend Peyton Manning when he signed with the Denver Broncos in 2012, and the two connected for at least 1,300 yards each of the four seasons Manning was there. They also won a Super Bowl.
As a result, Manning would naturally be devastated by the passing of Thomas. According to reports that came out Thursday night, Thomas, a four-time Pro Bowler, was found dead in his home at 33 years old.
Given the fact that he was the guy throwing Thomas the football for three of those Pro Bowls and that Super Bowl title, Peyton Manning was obviously going to release a statement. He echoed what many other said about Thomas as a person but only in the way he could. Bronocos Chief Communications officer Patrick Smyth released Manning’s statement on Twitter.
Peyton Manning (2-of-2): “I texted with D.T. on Tuesday. He was talking about a TD audible we called vs. Arizona in 2014. Absolutely devasted.”
— Patrick Smyth (@psmyth12) December 10, 2021
One of the most memorable moments of Manning’s final Super Bowl run was, when Denver beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs, Manning gave the game ball to Thomas after taking the final kneel-down. He did that so Thomas could give it to his mother, who had been released from prison earlier that summer. That was the first time she got to see him play in person.
There’s no doubt that Manning and Thomas had a special connection. Marvin Harrison is the only other receiver Manning has ever thrown to who had the level of production during individual seasons that Thomas did. Reggie Wayne came close but wasn’t quite there.
Although Eric Decker, Julius Thomas, Wes Welker and Emmanuel Sanders all went on to catch passes from Manning in Denver, none had the production Thomas had. Honestly, it was a match everybody expected to work out the minute Manning signed with Denver, assuming he was going to be healthy enough to play.
Remember, before Manning, Thomas already made a name for himself by having over 200 yards receiving, including an 80-yard game-winner on the first play of overtime, against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the previous NFL Playoffs. That was the Tim Tebow 316-yard passing performance, the apex of his pro career, and Thomas was the reason for it.
When John Elway brought in Manning, the excitement was always there, as Manning never had an elite pro receiver of Thomas’ size. Most of them, like Wayne and Harrison, stood 6’0″ or below. As a result, the possibilities for the two were endless, and they exceeded those expectations.
Obviously, we are all thinking about Thomas and his family. He was one of the greatest people to ever play the game, and Vol Nation mourns with everybody else. Anybody who followed Peyton Manning closely knew how great of a player and a person Thomas was.