One of the greatest offensive linemen in NFL history announced his retirement on Wednesday. The good news is we’ll be seeing a lot of Joe Thomas as he begins his media career. The bad news is we won’t get to see him dominate on the blind side again.
It was a pleasure to watch Thomas play, even though it’s a shame the Browns didn’t have more success during his 11-year career.
Here’s a summary of that career, by the numbers:
10,363: Consecutive snaps Thomas played over a 10-year span before finally having to miss the first snap of his career due the injury that ended his 2017 season in October.
167: Consecutive starts from Thomas between 2007 and 2017, just 17 short of Doug Dieken’s record for a left tackle.
20: Quarterbacks he protected during his time in Cleveland.
48: Victories he was a part of over the course of his 11-year career (4.4 per season).
1: Winning season with the Browns (his rookie campaign, back in 2007).
0: Playoff appearances in his 11-year career. They missed the postseason with a 10-6 record in ’07 and haven’t won more than seven games since.
6: First-team All-Pro nods, which is more than any other position player since the turn of the century.
A message from Joe Thomas to the fans. pic.twitter.com/GLh90HIXrF
— Dawg Pound News (@DawgPoundNews) March 14, 2018
10: Pro Bowl nods. He’s one of just five players (along with Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald and Jason Witten) to be elected to 10-plus Pro Bowls this century.
30: Sacks he surrendered in 11 years on 6,680 pass-blocking snaps. An average of less than three per season.
10/8: Fumbles recovered/tackles made. The Browns weren’t very careful with the ball on offense.
Zero: Offensive linemen before him… ?
Congratulations to @joethomas73! The first offensive lineman in NFL history is finally hanging up the cleats pic.twitter.com/TtWt9CNtBU
— David Gardner (@byDavidGardner) March 14, 2018
