CINCINNATI — This time last year, Bengals captain Michael Thomas’ life looked a lot different.
Thomas was less than a year removed from a season-ending injury with his hometown Houston Texans. The phone was not ringing for the NFL veteran, so Thomas began exploring his options for life after the game.
“I was done. I had took a job with the NFLPA. I went through resume building, cover letter, submitting three rounds of interviews, gotten hired,” Thomas said. “They said ‘you can take the job today if you’re really done or you can wait until March to see if a team calls.’ Sure enough, it was Week 4 or Week 5, I got a call from Lou Anarumo. And here I am.”
Anarumo was Thomas’ coach with the Miami Dolphins, where he played in his first NFL game and spent five seasons as a key player.
Thomas, who at one point was widely regarded as one of the best special teams players in the NFL, signed a contract to join the Bengals practice squad — a role he had been in before. Undrafted out of Stanford, Thomas spent his first two seasons in the NFL on the San Francisco 49ers practice squad.
A decade later, Thomas credits the same hard work and positive attitude that he used as a rookie to earn himself a spot on the Bengals' active roster. Thomas became a major piece of the Bengals Super Bowl run. Only playing the last eight games of the regular season, Thomas still managed to record the second-most special teams tackles in both the regular season and in the postseason.
The Bengals and Thomas agreed to a one-year contract for the 2022 season and during training camp, Thomas’ teammates voted him as one of the Bengals' seven captains. In a much different place than he was 12 months earlier, Thomas said he has not had much time to reflect.
“It’s humbling, I will say that. When I got the call to come back, it was a blessing,” Thomas said. I wasn’t looking to be the captain. I wasn’t looking to be a leader, but I enjoyed the experience. And for my teammates to have that much respect for me, to vote me as a captain, being a practice squad player, undrafted, that means a lot.”
The Bengals respect their elders. Thomas is only one of four players on the Bengals over the age of 30. During his time in San Francisco, Hall of Famer Randy Moss was ending his career with the 49ers. Moss’ son, Thaddeus Moss, was on the Bengals practice squad as recently as this season.
“They keep me young I will say that,” Thomas said. “From the conversations to the music they listening to, to the things I’m saying. I’ll be like ‘put it on tape’ and they say ‘there ain’t no tape no more’. I’m definitely Uncle Mike around here.“
There is no joking when it comes to how closely some of the younger players — especially those on special teams — watch Thomas work.
“They want to know how did you get to year 10, how did you get to year 11, undrafted,” Thomas said.
He went from undrafted to being a member of the Pro Football Focus 2010s All-Decade team, finding his name on the same list as Tom Brady, Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, Rob Gronkowski, J.J. Watt, Thomas’ good friend Richard Sherman and more.
“To be held in regard with those names. I don’t have the words for you. I haven’t had time to reflect and I’d probably tear up if I did,” Thomas said.
This Thursday is a game that Thomas has had circled on his calendar. The Bengals are playing in their first of a league max five primetime games. Cincinnati hosts the Miami Dolphins, the team that got Thomas into his first NFL game.
“I’m with the same coach that I started with when they poached me off the practice squad from San Francisco, playing against a team that I spent five years with. I am linked to that team forever because that was my first ever game … now I get a chance to go against that team. It’s circle man, it’s circle,” Thomas said.
The Bengals kick off against the Dolphins this Thursday at 8:15 p.m. You can watch on WCPO 9.
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