National Football League

Former Denver Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas found dead at 33

Updated Dec. 10, 2021 12:01 p.m. ET

Former Pro Bowl receiver Demaryius Thomas was found dead in his home, police in Roswell, Georgia, confirmed Thursday night. He was 33.

No immediate cause of death was revealed, but police indicated it likely was the result of "a medical issue."

"Preliminary information is that his death stems from a medical issue, and our investigators currently have no reason to believe otherwise," said Tim Lupo, public information officer for Roswell police, in a statement early Friday.

According to an ESPN report, multiple former teammates said Thomas might have sustained seizures recently.

LaTonya Bonseigneur, a first cousin who grew up with Thomas, told The Associated Press the family believes he 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," Bonseigneur said in a telephone interview. "He was alone, and a friend couldn’t get hold of him, so he called his driver, who has a key because of these seizures, and he went into his home and found him in the shower."

The Denver Broncos released a statement on Thomas' death early Friday.

After playing at Georgia Tech for three seasons, Thomas spent 10 seasons in the NFL, including more than eight with the Broncos, the team that drafted him with the 22nd pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.

He was named to the Pro Bowl in five consecutive seasons from 2012-16, and was twice a second-team All-Pro performer, in 2013 and 2014. He was a member of the Broncos' Super Bowl 50 championship team.

Thomas' 9,055 receiving yards rank second all-time in Denver franchise history, as are his 60 receiving touchdowns.

Former Denver quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tim Tebow both released statements regarding Thomas' death.

Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady paid tribute to Thomas as well.

After spending the majority of his career in Denver, Thomas was traded to Houston midway through the 2018 season and played seven games with the Texans.

He last played with the New York Jets in 2019, starting 10 games. He announced his retirement in June of this year.

Thomas finished his career with 724 receptions (48th all-time), 9,763 receiving yards (54th all-time) and 63 receiving touchdowns (tied 72nd all-time). He put up five consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons from 2012-16.

On Friday's edition of "Undisputed," Broncos legend Shannon Sharpe took a moment to remember his friend, saying Thomas looked at him as a "big brother."

"I had a very personal relationship with D.T. … I hadn't talked to him in a while. We have a very mutual friend that said, ‘Shannon, you need to reach out to D.T. He's not doing well.' I said, ‘Ok, I’ll talk to him.' Then when I got this news last night, I was sitting on my bed and I was just thinking.

"I had two months to reach out to him. And now I'm never gonna get that opportunity."

Here is how the sports world reacted to Thomas' death:

Information from the Associated Press was included in this report.