ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Former Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas died of “complications of a seizure disorder,” according to an autopsy report from the Fulton County (Ga.) Medical Examiner’s office.
Portions of the report were shared with ESPN on Friday. Thomas was found dead at his home in Roswell, Georgia, on December 9 at age 33, and an autopsy was performed the next day.
Demaryius Thomas is second on the Broncos’ all-time list in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and 1,000-yard seasons. Russell Lansford/Icon Sportswire
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In December, the medical examiner’s office issued a statement that “the cause and manner of death are pending completion of laboratory studies and microscopic tissue samples.” In the final report, the medical examiner said the manner of Thomas’s death remains undetermined and it was unknown whether the seizure disorder was the result of natural causes or due to impacts to Thomas’s head during his NFL career.
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Last month, Boston University researchers told ABC News that Thomas had suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease, but said CTE had not caused his death. The autopsy report said those same investigators said they did not believe Thomas’ CTE caused the seizure disorder.
The autopsy report revealed that Thomas, who was found dead in the shower, had traces of nicotine and marijuana in his system, but neither was listed as a contributing factor in his death.
At the time of his death, some relatives of Thomas publicly said that he had suffered from seizures for about a year before he died. Several former teammates also said at the time that Thomas had told them that he had suffered from seizures in recent months.
Thomas’ trademark smile and ever-present desire to help those in need made him one of the most popular players in the franchise in the community. His death shocked the NFL and Denver.
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Thomas, who would have turned 34 at Christmas, had announced his retirement from the NFL in June 2021 with a short video showing a peace sign and a smile.
Thomas was the first of two first-round picks by the Broncos in the 2010 NFL draft (Tim Tebow was the other) and spent nine seasons with the team. She finished her career as the Broncos’ second-best receiver (9,055 yards), behind Rod Smith. He is third in franchise history in receptions (655) behind Smith and Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe.
Thomas played a total of 10 seasons with the Broncos, Houston Texans and New York Jets and finished with 724 receptions for 9,763 yards and 63 touchdowns.
