The most amazing streak in the NFL came to an unceremonious end on Sunday afternoon, as Browns tackle Joe Thomas missed a snap for the first time in his career. Thomas, who was taken out of Cleveland’s game against Tennessee after suffering an injury, has played in every offensive snap that the Browns have taken since he was drafted with the third overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.
Thomas’ streak came to an end at 10,363 consecutive snaps, and the Browns’ Twitter account was unsurprisingly upset to see the streak come to an end.
10,363 consecutive offensive plays.
What an incredible streak for Joe Thomas. pic.twitter.com/IVwRN9zcWj
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 22, 2017
Injury update: Joe Thomas will not return (triceps) 😞
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 22, 2017
Thomas was injured in the third quarter of the game, as he went down and held his left arm after blocking for a rushing attempt by Browns running back Duke Johnson.
A sight you thought you'd never see.
Joe Thomas who has NEVER missed a snap in his 11-year career went down and is out of the game. pic.twitter.com/V0FEAc6u3H— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) October 22, 2017
It’s such a sad sight to see, as Thomas has been a consistent and steady player along the offensive line for the Browns over the last decade. Seeing as how the Browns seem to be in a perpetual state of turmoil, watching Thomas perform at a high level week-in and week-out has been a bright spot for the franchise.
And it bears mentioning: Thomas played more than 10,363 snaps as a left tackle, which is arguably the most physically demanding position in football. Each week, he has gone up against defensive players who want to attack a quarterback’s blind side, and despite this, he has never missed a snap until now. While Brett Favre is considered the NFL’s iron man for playing 297 consecutive games, Thomas’ streak is just as impressive. But unfortunately, like all good things, it came to a sad and unceremonious end.
