Browns: 5 former players who deserved a shot at the playoffs

Joe Thomas

Could it be anyone else? Joe Thomas spent his Hall of Fame career in Cleveland, giving the team their very own first-ballot Hall of Famer in decades. He was loyal when he didn’t have to be, he was a calming voice when he earned the right to be done with the nonsense. He supported everyone and anyone who wanted to make the team better. He was the quintessential team-first guy.

If only his body had held up a little bit longer. A lot of offensive linemen of his quality are still playing in their mid 30’s, which Thomas is. He just turned 36, but years of abuse and concerns about his long term health had Thomas thinking better of returning after the 2017 season. He opted to retire just when the Browns were going to be good.

In his decade with the team, he’d only had one winning season. He deserved better.

Especially when you realize he made 10 straight Pro Bowls (would’ve been 11 had he not gotten hurt in 2017), was a six-time first-team All-Pro, a two-time second-team All-Pro, and was just one of eight players to earn a unanimous selection to the 2010 All-Decade team.

There is no player in Browns’ history, reaching all the way back to the beginning, who deserves a playoff opportunity more than Thomas.