NFL: Selecting the best player in each franchise’s history
By Brad Rowland
Kansas City Chiefs – Derrick Thomas
This one may be controversial, but give me Derrick Thomas and get out of the way.
Thomas was, tragically, limited to only 11 seasons in the NFL after he died from a blood clot following a car accident in early 2000. But when he was on the field, he was always an elite player. The former Alabama standout still ranks at number 15 all-time in sacks (126.5) despite the fact that his career was cut short at just 32 years old, and he produced seven sacks or more in each of his 11 seasons. Thomas is perhaps known for a 20-sack campaign in just his second season at the age of 23, and he was selected to nine Pro Bowls while basically operating as the best player on the Chiefs roster for the duration of his career.
Greats like Len Dawson, Bobby Bell and Willie Lanier are certainly in the conversation (Joe Montana is not by nature of his short stay in Kansas City), but Derrick Thomas possessed the highest ceiling of the group. It will always be a shame that he wasn’t able to continue playing so we could see where his career would have gone, but Thomas is a fitting choice here as the best player for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Next: Miami Dolphins