Few, if any, professional football players have ever lost as much as Joe Thomas.
The offensive tackle, who spent his entire 11-year career with the Cleveland Browns before retiring Wednesday, never once played a postseason game. His teams finished last in the AFC North in nine of his 11 seasons. Over all, the Browns won 48 games during his career and lost 128. Over his final 10 seasons, they won 38 and lost 122. It’s pretty safe to say that Thomas participated in more defeats than any other player of his generation.
Want to feel bad for Thomas? Watch this video from before last season of him naming the 18 starting quarterbacks he had blocked for. (Two more, DeShone Kizer and Kevin Hogan were added to the list in 2017.)
Can you name all the QBs who have started for the Browns over the last decade? Joe Thomas, the guy who’s protected all 18, gave it a shot. pic.twitter.com/7dlnHxezlt
— E:60 (@E60) August 17, 2017
The poor guy took a beating for Bruce Gradkowski! For Austin Davis! For Johnny Manziel!
Thomas would have only a slightly easier time named the six head coaches he played for in his 11 seasons. Remember Rob Chudzinski?
The crazy thing is that despite all the losing, the carousel of coaches, and the revolving door of coaches, Thomas is widely acknowledged as one of the very best football players of the 21st century. After being drafted No. 2 overall in 2007, he made the Pro Bowl in his rookie season, then again each season for the following nine years. Six times, he was named an All-Pro. He enjoyed a truly remarkable and brilliant career.
Along the way, Thomas also gained a reputation as a great teammate, a good quote, and an ironman. He set an NFL record by playing 10,363 consecutive offensive snaps from his rookie year until a torn triceps ended his streak (and, as it turned out, his career) in October, a testament not only to his health but also his commitment. The fact that television networks are reportedly tripping over themselves to hire him shows just how highly everyone in football thinks of him.
Before long, Thomas will have himself a bust in Canton at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And on his induction day, he’ll be remembered for his performance, his durability, his spirit. And all those many, many losses will seem fully irrelevant.
