‘COMPLICATIONS’

Broncos Star Demaryius Thomas’ Death Caused by Seizure Disorder, Autopsy Confirms

The medical examiner who conducted the autopsy said it was unlikely the Denver Broncos star’s seizures were the result of his time in the NFL.

Demaryius Thomas, a former NFL wide receiver best known for his time with the Denver Broncos, died of complications of a seizure disorder, according to an official report from the Fulton County Medical Examiner. Thomas, 33, was found dead in the shower last December, less than six months after his retirement from pro football. His family announced last month that Boston doctors had posthumously diagnosed him with stage 2 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. The medical examiner’s new report noted that there was “no direct relationship” between Thomas’ seizures and his CTE. Dr. Ann McKee, a neuropathologist involved in examining Thomas’ brain, told The New York Times on Sunday that Thomas had likely died of suffocation following a seizure. The disorder, some experts speculated in the months after his death, may have been caused by a 2019 car wreck that Thomas was involved in.