Denver Broncos Pro Bowl wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has tallied 1,000-plus yards in each of the past five seasons. He’s also racked up 46 touchdowns during that span.
Needless to say, the former first-round pick has been among the most-productive receivers in the NFL since he broke out with a 1,400-yard performance back in 2012.
Despite this, it looks like new Broncos head coach Vance Joseph wants to see Thomas step up from a consistency standpoint.
“I want him to be a dominant player all the time,” Joseph said earlier this week, via the Broncos’ official website. “I don’t want him to ease into games. I want him to step out and be a guy.”
We can read between the lines here. Joseph is calling Thomas out without actually using the words to call him out. And in reality, there’s some substance to this.
The knock on Thomas is that he was a product of Peyton Manning’s brilliance with the Broncos. During Manning’s four seasons as the team’s starter, the receiver averaged nearly 1,450 receiving yards per game. In the three seasons without Manning under center, the Pro Bowler is averaging 639 receiving yards.
He’s also coming off his worst statistical season since all the way back in 2011, one year before Manning showed up in Denver.
Last season saw the 29-year-old Thomas put up less than 70 receiving yards in more than half of his regular season dates. That’s most definitely not what the team expects from its second highest-paid player.
Maybe Joseph’s comments will light a fire under the uber-talented Thomas.