Cleveland Browns left tackle Joe Thomas was sidelined for the first time in his Hall-of-Fame-worthy career this season after he suffered a season-ending torn triceps injury in October. That injury has given the incredible 33-year-old offensive lineman the time to contemplate his future and whether he should call it a career.
But as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports, Thomas is still not leaning one way or the other regarding his major decision.
“I wouldn’t say so. I think there’s some days you go back and forth,” Thomas said. “I think it’s just kind of as I’m starting to work myself back into shape, it’s just kind of how you feel.”
Thomas, who had played every single snap (10,363 in a row) of every game in his career prior to suffering the triceps injury, is on track to make a full recovery. However, he still has other injury concerns to his back and knees which have also caused him to consider how much longer he can keep on playing.
While Thomas still isn’t sure when he will come up with a decision and what it’ll be, he did point out that the Browns will eventually have to start preparing for his inevitable exit, which is likely coming soon.
“I told them I’ll make a decision when I’m ready and let them know and give them as much time as I possibly can,” Thomas said. “… No matter what I decide to do this year, this is my last year on my contract in Cleveland. … I’m also 33 right now, so they need to be planning for somebody else pretty soon down the line, whether it’s this year or the following year.”
It's going to be a sad day in Cleveland when Thomas does finally call time on his remarkable career. The Browns have had a hard enough time finding a competent quarterback for Thomas to protect for so many years, and they'll likely struggle to find a capable replacement for him too.
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