Regarded as one of the greatest offensive lineman in NFL history, Joe Thomas was recently inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Unfortunately, Thomas spent his entire career on losing teams in Cleveland. However, Peyton Manning tried to change all of that.
In 2015, Manning was with the Broncos and was looking for a replacement for left tackle Ryan Clady who suffered a torn ACL. He smartly looked to Thomas and tried his best to lure him to Denver.
Obviously, a move never happened, and Thomas finished his career out with the Browns.
Thomas opened up about the almost-move in an interview on Adam Schefter’s podcast. His words echoed with a mix of amusement and incredulity, painting a vivid picture of the circumstances surrounding the near-trade.
Specifically, Thomas recalled Manning’s advice of how to “force” the Browns to trade him.
“It was a matter of, ‘Joe, I think you should go up to your GM’s office and make a stink. Literally, I want you to go up there, pull your pants down, and make a stink on his desk because that’s the only way Cleveland is going to trade you,” Thomas hilariously recounted.
The advice that Peyton Manning gave incoming Hall-of-Fame OT Joe Thomas about how to force a trade to Denver from Cleveland:
🎧 https://t.co/svrOMpjNXi pic.twitter.com/19HKazLBf7
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 3, 2023
That route might seem extreme, but Manning was desperate to win the Super Bowl, which everyone can understand and appreciate.
“You’re my drinking buddy from the Pro Bowl and I think we could win a Super Bowl this year,” Manning told Thomas.
Even though Thomas stayed put, Manning’s Broncos would still go on to win Super Bowl 50, so there was a still a happy ending, at least for Manning.
Perhaps Thomas should have taken Manning’s advice. If he did, he would be wearing a big shiny ring right now.
Manning’s tactic would have most likely gotten the job done. But you snooze, you lose.
Where do you rank Thomas among the best offensive lineman of all-time?