Browns’ iron man Thomas injured
The last great hope for the Browns faded Sunday.
Rock-hard and shatterproof, Joe Thomas missed an offensive play, and he’s going to miss many more.
Cleveland’s iron man left tackle sustained a serious injury to his left triceps and could miss the remainder of another losing season for the Browns.
The 10-time Pro Bowler had played 10,363 consecutive snaps when he was forced to leave the field in the third quarter of a 12-9 overtime loss to the visiting Tennessee Titans.
The sight of Thomas curled in a ball and yelling in agony was unnerving for everyone.
“It’s kind of unbelievable,” said Browns left guard Joel Bitonio. “I thought he was a superhuman, where nothing could happen to him. There were about 30 seconds out there where I teared up. It’s tough because he’s the best player on our team.”
Thomas is more than that. He’s the face of Cleveland’s franchise, and the embodiment of a pro’s pro, a player beyond reproach on and off the field.
He will undergo an MRI exam Monday, but it’s safe to assume that the 32-year-old will miss weeks — if not months.
“That one is really personal to me,” said Browns coach Hue Jackson, who is close to Thomas. “He is a huge part of what we do, a huge part of this organization. We will see where that is, but that was a big blow.” Anthem protests: Days after the NFL declined to change its rule on the national anthem, about two dozen players protested around the league.
Associated Press journalists counted 22 players protesting during the anthems in some way before day games. Some took a knee, others sat on the bench, stayed in the tunnel or raised a fist. The Seahawks (eight) and 49ers (six) had the most protesters.
On Sept. 25, days after President Trump said players should be fired for protesting during the anthem, more than 200 players protested. Briefly: Panthers center Ryan Kalil said he suffered a setback in his return from a neck injury. He returned to the lineup after missing five games, only to last one quarter Sunday. Left tackle Matt Kalil, his brother, limped to the sideline following a Panthers run early in the second quarter, but started the second half . ... Oft-suspended Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict let his disdain for the Steelers known early. Burfict declined to shake hands during the coin toss, then appeared to kick Steelers fullback Roosevelt Nix on the second snap of the game as the two emerged from a pile. ... Titans tight end Delanie Walker, the ex-49er, was carted to the locker room after hurting his right leg in Tennessee’s win in Cleveland. Walker had seven catches for 63 yards.