After missing a good chunk of 2017 due to injury, Browns fans might have to get use to not seeing Joe Thomas line up at tackle anymore, as the future Hall of Famer still isn’t 100 percent sure he’s coming back in 2018.
Thursday night at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel Downtown, Thomas spoke about trying to come back from injury, and both the physical and mental issues that go along with it.
“Had a lot of time to think and spend some time with the family but not ready definitively to make a decision one way or the other just yet,” Thomas said.
But is he leaning one way or the other?
“I wouldn’t say so. I think there’s some days you go back and forth,” Thomas replied. “I think it’s just kind of as I’m starting to work myself back into shape, it’s just kind of how you feel.”
Thomas said he recently had a 12-week checkup on his surgically repaired left triceps tendon. His legendary consecutive snap streak ended at 10,363 and he missed the final nine games of the 2017 season after the tendon ruptured Oct. 22 against the Tennessee Titans.
As of now, Thomas does not know when he may or may not make the final decision to either come back again in 2018 for the Browns, or walk away from the game all together.
No doubt that if he does decide to leave the game for good, it’s going to alter the Browns offseason game plan, as he’s a monster void at the tackle spot that will need to be filled if he leaves.
If the team had their way, they would likely want Thomas to give them a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ by the time free agency starts on March 14th.
The 33-year-old has a very tough decision to make, one that could make this offseason for the Browns even tougher if they have to fill his position.
“I told them I’ll make a decision when I’m ready and let them know and give them as much time as I possibly can,” Thomas said.
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