Cleveland Browns legend Joe Thomas is known for being one of the best offensive linemen in the history of the NFL. From the moment that he set foot in Cleveland to his very last snap, he was the greatest left tackle in the history of the NFL.
Unfortunately for him, he was that on the worst team in the league during one of their worst eras of football.
On Friday, Thomas joined a Wisconsin Badger podcast, Badger Connect, and talked about his time in Cleveland. However, the clip that was posted was Thomas recounting the moment that his Pro-Bowl teammate called him and tried to convince him to force his way to Denver.
As Thomas’s version of the story goes, He received a call while he was lying in bed with his wife watching Sunday Night Football. The number was unlisted, and it was typically a call that Thomas would not take.
This time, he went against his typical instinct. He picked up the call, and on the other side was The Sheriff, Peyton Manning.
Manning wasted no time; he basically said that there was a deal set up to send Thomas to Denver, who was on the cusp of a Super Bowl season. Cleveland wouldn’t pull the trigger, so Manning pleaded that Thomas request a trade. As the story goes, he told Thomas to go into the general manager’s office and go to the bathroom on his desk, and they would surely trade him after that.
Loyalty is very important to @joethomas73. Want proof? Listen to this amazing story about a phone call he received from Peyton Manning đ
The full podcast is available on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. pic.twitter.com/UxgCORO4Xk
â Badger Connect (@Badgerconnect) April 30, 2026
While Thomas tells the story in jest, it really underscores his loyalty to a horrific franchise. Denver went on to win the Super Bowl that season, and that is what Thomas passed up. For whatever crazy reason, he was happy in Cleveland and didn’t want to leave.
The only criminal in this situation was the Cleveland Browns, who never put Thomas on a winning team. They never built around Thomas and gave him a team that could win, and that is not only the biggest negative of the Cleveland Browns franchise, but it is that for the history of the NFL.
Joe Thomas deserved so much better than what he got in Cleveland. It didn’t matter, though. He loved it here and would rather have been remembered for his loyalty than for joining a winning franchise.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns’ legend Joe Thomas recounts pivotal moment in his HOF career