The Denver Broncos will honor Demaryius Thomas, who was found dead in his home on Thursday (Dec. 9), on Sunday (Dec. 12) during their game against the Detroit Lions.
According to ESPN, prior to the game, the NFL organization will hold a moment of silence. Additionally, the team will wear decals on their helmets representing Thomas‘ jersey number, which was 88.
As REVOLT previously reported, Thomas was found dead in his Georgia home on Thursday night. Authorities believe he may have passed away due to a medical issue. LaTonya Bonseigneur, Thomas’ first cousin, told the Associated Press that he may have died from a seizure.
“He had been suffering from seizures for over a year and we believe he had a seizure when he was showering,” she said. “We’re not sure when he died. We just spoke with him yesterday.”
On Friday morning, the Broncos released a statement about Thomas’ untimely death. “We are devastated and completely heartbroken by the sudden, tragic passing of Demaryius Thomas,” it read. “D.T. was beloved by our entire organization, his teammates and coaches, and our fans. Recently retiring as a Bronco, we were very much looking forward to celebrating Demaryius for years to come as one of the greatest players in franchise history.”
Thomas, who would have turned 34 years old on Christmas, had a record-setting NFL career. He was the team’s second-leading receiver of all time and third in team history for catches. This past June, he officially announced his retirement from the league.
“Seeing and feeling their reaction, their hurt, just tells me what a special player DT was,” said Vic Fangio, coach of the Broncos. “Special player, special person, is obvious, by their responses. … The people that knew him and were around him, they’re sad and depressed, down, but … we’re ready to pay tribute to him on Sunday.”