Demaryius Thomas Cause of Death Revealed

Tragic news broke late last year that former Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas had been found dead at his home in Roswell, Georgia.

Just last month, it emerged that the NFL star had stage 2 CTE before he died:

That led to speculation as to the potential cause of death, and on Friday, an official autopsy report viewed by ESPN indicated that he died from "complications of a seizure disorder."

At the time of his death, the medical examiner's office stated that "the cause and manner of death" were "pending the completion of laboratory studies and microscopic tissue samples."

While the seizure disorder was the main cause, even now, the medical examiner isn't sure about the manner of his death, saying it "remains undetermined."

It's unclear whether the seizure disorder had a natural cause or was related to the repeated "impacts to Thomas's head during his NFL career."

The researchers who initially uncovered his chronic CTE said that "they did not believe Thomas' CTE caused the seizure disorder."

There were traces of nicotine and marijuana in his system, but according to the report "neither was listed as a contributing factor in his death."

Family members confirmed that the 33-year old had "suffered seizures for about a year before he died."

Though he retired young, Thomas had a successful NFL career, catching over 720 passes for over 9,700 yards with the Broncos, Houston Texans and New York Jets.

It's a bit of relief that the researchers don't believe that CTE contributed to the seizure disorder. While nothing soothes the wounds of losing Thomas at such a young age, it at least appears that his playing career was not the main culprit.

Written by
Ian Miller is a former award watching high school actor, author, and long suffering Dodgers fan. He spends most of his time golfing, traveling, reading about World War I history, and trying to get the remote back from his dog. Follow him on Twitter @ianmSC