In December of 2021, former Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas passed away at 33 years old. Seven months later, doctors from Boston University provided an update on his death.
Thomas suffered from Stage 2 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), per The New York Times.
Ken Belson of The New York Times wrote that Thomas showed “increasingly erratic” behavior prior to his tragic death in large part because of CTE.
Additionally, Belson said the final year of Thomas’ life was “marked by the memory loss, paranoia and isolation that are hallmarks.”
Unsurprisingly, the NFL world is heartbroken by this news.
“I’m still heartbroken,” one fan tweeted. “There have to be steps we can take to make this game safer.”
Here are some of the reactions to this report:
Thomas was an outstanding receiver over the course of his NFL career, hauling in 724 catches for 9,763 yards and 63 touchdowns.
In addition to earning Pro Bowl honors four times, Thomas was a member of the 2015 Denver Broncos that won the Super Bowl.
Our thoughts remain with Thomas’ loved ones.