Demaryius Thomas: NFL players call out league over the handling of CTE

New York - Dez Bryant, Su’a Cravens, and other major NFL figures called out the NFL over the handling of chronic traumatic encephalopathy CTE after Demaryius Thomas was posthumously diagnosed with the fatal disease.

Denver Broncos'Demaryius Thomas makes a one-handed catch on the edge of the end zone against the Seattle Seahawks.
Denver Broncos'Demaryius Thomas makes a one-handed catch on the edge of the end zone against the Seattle Seahawks.  © DUSTIN BRADFORD / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

The news that former Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was suffering from stage 2 CTE at the time of his death last December was followed by more revelations on Tuesday.

Thomas spent the final year of his life showing increasingly concerning signs of the condition. His family described his struggles with depression, memory loss, and paranoia, among other symptoms.

The former wide receiver's family and the Concussion Legacy Foundation released a statement on confirming his official posthumous diagnosis, which lead former NFL players to speak out in anger and sadness.

"DT88 my heart weak bro… it’s a lot of us living with CTE and the NFL know it," Former Cowboys Wide-receiver Dez Bryant tweeted.

"…most importantly the Athletes who have those symptoms are scared to speak… 1 thing about me ain’t living no false life…my love and support for athletes are on a much deeper level than most…"

NFL players break their silence

An image of the late former Denver Broncos player Demaryius Thomas is displayed on the big screen before the start of an NFL game.
An image of the late former Denver Broncos player Demaryius Thomas is displayed on the big screen before the start of an NFL game.  © Justin Edmonds / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

Like a domino effect, one NFL star after another broke the silence.

One athlete who was not afraid to speak about his struggles and the NFL’s lack of interest in them was former Broncos safety, Su’a Cravens, who really didn’t hold back.

"NFL will keep ignoring how real this disease is," Cravens said in a tweet thread. "I’ve had my disability denied by the league 3 times because, ‘there’s no way of telling where my brain trauma comes from due to playing football before the NFL.’ They are literally wiping their hands of any accountability."

Another player who chimed in his thoughts was recently retired Ravens safety, who tweeted: "CTE is real and shouldn’t be taken lightly."

The NFL has programs for players to utilize during and after their playing careers. However, valid concerns over the accessibility of these programs have only intensified following Thomas' death.

There are even bigger questions over whether the league is doing enough to prevent the disease, which has no cure.

With more than 300 former NFL players diagnosed with CTE after their deaths by Boston University, more has to be done to keep that number from growing exponentially.

Cover photo: Justin Edmonds / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

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