CLEVELAND -- Mere moments after announcing his retirement from the Cleveland Browns, Joe Thomas released a new episode of his ThomaHawk Show podcast explaining his decision.
In the latest episode of the podcast, which he hosts with former Browns receiver Andrew Hawkins, Thomas admitted that his decision to bring his 11-year career to an end was a difficult one.
"It's a bittersweet day for me. I've had 11 amazing seasons here in Cleveland. And to know when it's time to call it quits and to put a cherry on the career is always tough," Thomas said. "As a competitor, you always think that you can still do it. But there's a point in your career, like you've mentioned on the show before, where you get to that crossroads and say, 'I just can't do it anymore. I just don't have it in my body. My mind is good but my body is not willing.'"
The 10-time Pro Bowl selection went on to cite the toll of the numerous injuries he has battled as the chief reason for his retirement.
"Obviously, I've only had one [injury] that has kept me from missing time," Thomas said, citing the torn triceps he suffered last October, which ultimately resulted in the end of his 2017 season. "But those injuries that you have throughout your career, they add up.
"Like I've had during my NFL career, two knee scopes, I had an ACL surgery when I was in college, I had another knee scope when I was in college -- so I've had four knee surgeries in my career. Obviously, the elbow surgery. Countless ligament tears, muscle tears, arthritis in just about every joint in my body and you just to that point where you can't do it anymore."
Thomas even recalled a moment during the 2017 season -- prior to his career-ending injury -- in which the severity of his health became clear to him.
"I was standing in front of the media at the podium," Thomas said. "I had Mobic in my body, which is like a real powerful anti-inflammatory. I had Tylenol and Vicodin and I couldn't stand for than a minute or two without excruciating bone pain in my knee and my back. It was almost at that point that I was saying to myself that, 'I don't know how I'm going to make it through this season."
Thomas then added with a laugh: "Now luckily my elbow snapped before anything happened with the rest of my body. But you just start thinking in your head, 'I don't know how much I can do this.'"
You can listen to the entirety of the latest episode of the ThomaHawk Show, in which Thomas continues to detail his retirement, its timetable and when he informed the Browns of his decision, in the audio player below. For continued coverage of Thomas' retirement and Hall of Fame career with the Browns, check out WKYC.com/Browns.
