Demaryius Thomas, a former Broncos All-Pro wide receiver, died on Thursday. Thomas’s family believes he died as a result of a seizure while showering, according to an Associated Press article by Paul Newberry.
Thomas last played in the NFL in 2019 and announced his retirement in June of the following year. He spent most of his career with the Broncos, garnering two All-Pro choices and four Pro Bowl appearances.
In a Friday statement, Roswell, Ga., police said that “preliminary information is that his death stems from a medical issue, and our investigators currently have no reason to believe otherwise.”
Thomas’s cousin LaTonya Bonseigneur, with whom he was particularly close, revealed that he had been dealing with recent health concerns at the time of his death on Thursday.
“He had been suffering from seizures for over a year, and we believe he had a seizure when he was showering,” Bonseigneur said Friday, per AP. “We’re not sure when he died. We just spoke with him yesterday.”
When Bonseigneur “couldn’t get a hold of him,” a friend called Thomas’s driver to check up on him, according to Bonseigneur.
Thomas was found in the shower by the driver, who had been granted access to his home due to worries about his seizures.
Thomas, who would have turned 34 on Christmas, has yet to be given an official cause of death.