Despite his season-ending injury, the Cleveland Browns are reportedly rewarding offensive lineman Joe Thomas with a major pay rise.
According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Browns have amended Thomas’s contract to give him a raise of $3 million in bonus money through 2018.
With bonuses factored in, Thomas will subsequently become the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL in 2018, earning $13.5 million in 2018.
The compensation is well deserved for Thomas, who has long been one of the league’s best offensive linemen. It’s not entirely clear why the Browns chose to do this now, but Thomas has not ruled out retiring after the season — perhaps Cleveland wanted to give him some incentive to play another season.
