A 10-time Pro Bowler who played an NFL record 10,363 consecutive offensive snaps, Thomas will become the 17th Browns player enshrined in Canton.
CLEVELAND — Five years after calling it a career, Joe Thomas is heading to Canton.
On Thursday, the former Cleveland Browns left tackle was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with the official announcement coming during the annual NFL Honors awards show ahead of the upcoming Super Bowl. This marked the 38-year-old Thomas’ first year of eligibility, giving him the additional distinction of being a first-ballot selection.
Selected by the Browns out of Wisconsin with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, Thomas established himself as one of the best left tackles in football history during his 11 seasons with the franchise. During his time in Cleveland, Thomas was named to 10 consecutive Pro Bowls (2007-16) and earned six first-team and two second-team All-Pro selections, all while playing an NFL record 10,363 consecutive offensive snaps before a torn triceps ended his 2017 season — and ultimately his career.
While the Browns tallied just one winning season during Thomas’ tenure with the team (his rookie year), his elite play while blocking for a laughably long list of quarterbacks served as one of the franchise’s few bright spots and constants during his career. His outgoing and everyman personality also made him a fan favorite during both his career and retirement, as the Wisconsin native has maintained a presence both around the team and in the media.
In being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Thomas will become the 17th Browns player or coach to be enshrined in Canton. He is the first Cleveland player to be selected to the Hall to suit up for the franchise after its return to the league in 1999 and the most recent active Browns player to do so since Ozzie Newsome, who retired following the 1990 season and was inducted in 1999.
Enshrinement Week for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023 in Canton is scheduled for Aug. 3-6, 2023. Information and ticket packages for the event can be found on the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s website.