The Cleveland Browns have swiftly named Mike Bloomgren as their new offensive line coach following Andy Dickerson’s departure.
Bloomgren joins the Browns after his recent dismissal as Rice University’s head coach, where he had guided the team to bowl game appearances in both 2022 and 2023.
Amid this transition, speculation swirled around former Browns tackle Joe Thomas as a potential candidate for the position.
The buzz around Thomas potentially joining his former team’s coaching staff gained momentum among fans, prompting the Browns legend to address these rumors head-on during his recent appearance on “The BullPen” podcast with Adam The Bull.
Thomas opened up about his perspective on coaching, acknowledging the appeal of mentoring athletes while making it clear that an NFL coaching role isn’t in his immediate future.
“I don’t really have any plans to coach in the college game or the NFL game, but I always say, hey, there’s a price on everything right and unfortunately, right now, my price is way higher than the value that I would bring to be a guy that has to give up coaching his kids and move away from his family and live that NFL life, you’d have to pay me way more than I’m worth,” Thomas explained.
The Browns hired Mike Bloomgren as OL coach. Did @JoeThomas73 get snubbed??? Did HE want the job??? @adamthebull finds out!!! pic.twitter.com/P41u0kOFW2
— 🇺🇸BROWN SPIDER ADVENTURES!!!🇱🇷 #D4L (3-14) (@BrownSpiderCLE) January 12, 2025
The former Browns star shared insights into his current coaching ventures overseas, highlighting how this arrangement allows him the freedom to maintain a balanced lifestyle.
This flexibility enables Thomas to spend quality time with his children, hit the slopes for skiing, and explore new places – experiences that would be nearly impossible with the demanding schedule of NFL coaching.
Thomas further emphasized that his priority remains coaching his own children until they’re older, rather than pursuing a professional coaching career.
While he enjoys playfully engaging with fans and media about the possibility of coaching the Browns, he was straightforward about his current stance: any coaching position would demand a level of commitment he’s not prepared to make at this point in his life.
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