Broncos' Miller, Sanders react to Thomas being dealt to Texans

After spending the first nine seasons of his career with the Denver Broncos, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was traded to the Houston Texans, and it appears to be an unpopular development in the Mile High City.

The Broncos received a fourth-round and seventh-round pick in exchange for Thomas and a seventh-round selection.

Thomas believed his own chances of being dealt were 50-50, but that didn't soften the blow for his Broncos comrades.

Linebacker Von Miller took to Twitter to voice his displeasure:

@DemaryiusT ima cry in the car...

- Von Miller (@VonMiller) October 30, 2018

Miller wasn't the only Broncos star upset over the deal. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders shared his opinion during a radio appearance Tuesday.

"It's tough. That's like my brother. For five years. I went over and hung out with him. I'm not happy about that but it's part of the business," Thomas told 104.3 The FAN.

"He's a great teammate, it's going to be hard to see him go."

Broncos general manager John Elway rationalized his decision to deal Thomas.

"With the youth we have at receiver, we wanted to get them on the field and Demaryius goes to a team that wanted him. It was best for both sides. We weren't going to do this unless we got value. We weren't taking less than a fourth," Elway said via Mike Klis of 9News.

"I told him he will always be a Bronco. I know he wanted to finish his career with the Broncos and that didn't work out, but when he's finished he'll go up in our Ring of Fame."

Sitting at 3-5, the Broncos appear unlikely to make a concerted playoff push, and while Thomas was a core component of the team's victory in Super Bowl 50, the move may mark the beginning of the end of a successful era for the franchise.

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