CLEVELAND -- As has often been the case during this era of Cleveland Browns football, many of the stories stemming from the 2015 NFL trade deadline were left to rumor and innuendo.
This week, however, Joe Thomas lent a voice to what happened nearly three years ago when the Pro Bowl left tackle was nearly traded to the Denver Broncos.
And as only he can, Thomas told the story in hilarious fashion, referencing a phone call he received from a fairly famous quarterback.
"So there was a quarterback at the time in Denver, pretty well-known quarterback, who actually sent me a text a week or so before the trade deadline and said, 'Hey can you give me a call?'" Thomas recalled on the latest episode of "The ThomaHawk Show" podcast.
After noting that he didn't know who was sending the text, Peyton Manning then revealed, "It's your drinking buddy from the Pro Bowl."
Thomas proceeded to call Manning, who went on to pitch the 10-time Pro Bowl selection on the perks of playing in Denver. Although Thomas noted that he was happy in Cleveland, Manning remained persistent, even suggesting ways he could force then-general manager Ray Farmer into trading him.
"He's like, 'We really need you man, we could use you,'" Thomas recalled Manning, a 14-time Pro Bowl selection and 5-time MVP saying. "And I'm like, 'All right.' And he's like, 'But I need you to do something because Cleveland doesn't want to get rid of you.' I'm like, 'OK.'
"He's like, 'You need to go upstairs and pull your pants down and take a dump on your GM's desk and they'll trade you.' I'm like, 'I don't think that's going to happen but I appreciate the love.'"
Suffice to say, Thomas didn't follow Manning's directive. Nor did the Browns opt to deal their future Hall of Fame left tackle to Broncos, who went on to win the Super Bowl that very same season.
Thomas, meanwhile, went on to endure a 1-15 season in 2016 before a torn triceps ended his career midway through Cleveland's 0-16 season in 2017. But at the very least, he was able to end his Browns career with dignity -- and without having to take a dump on the GM's desk.
