Broncos' Demaryius Thomas explains postgame jersey swap with Harry Douglas

It was a play that fired up the Broncos more than maybe anything else all season. It had Aqib Talib starting a scuffle and then issuing a threat after the game, it had defensive backs throughout the league sending messages to Chris Harris Jr. in his defense, it had just about every person that saw it calling out Titans wide receiver Harry Douglas for dirty play.

By now you’ve seen it, on the opposite side of the field as the play, Douglas dove at the knee of Harris and left him on his back in pain. The play was clearly uncalled for, and Talib was in the right for going after him.

After the game, though, right before Talib was telling the world he was out to kick Douglas’ a**, Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was seen swapping jerseys and posing for a picture with the man who had just become Public Enemy No. 1.

On the surface, it was a bad look for ‘DT,’ who Broncos fans often fall in and out of love with, on Thursday, though, Thomas met with the media and provided some clarification.

“At the time, I didn’t even know about it,” Thomas said of the play in question. “I stayed on the sidelines. I don’t get into brawls. I didn’t really see it until after the game.”

As a couple of Georgia guys, Thomas and Douglas go back, and while ‘DT’ offered a bit of defense for the Titan, he showed stronger support for his teammate.

“I’ve known Harry for around eight-plus years now. He’s a great dude. I know he didn’t mean anything bad, but from seeing the play, he could have stayed up and not done that to Chris. I’m always going to have my [teammate’s] back. I fight with him every day; I see him every day. At the time, I didn’t know it was him. I thought it was No. 18 at the time.”

“I didn’t think it was necessary,” he added of the play.

Thomas’ excuse—for lack of a better term—is an easy one to buy. The play happened when he was off of the field, obviously, and the ensuing brawl happened on the opposite sideline. There’s a lot going on during a football game, and it’s possible that the team didn’t have time for a debriefing on why they all now hate Harry Douglas.

Another one of Thomas’ teammates and a notorious jersey swapper, Von Miller came to the wide receiver’s defense on Thursday.

“I’m not sure that DT even knew what happened on the play,” he said. “What’s DT supposed to do, just not give him a jersey because of what happened? I think they go way back. They have a relationship off of the football field. It was really foggy during the game anyway. I didn’t really see what happened until we got in the locker room and I got to my phone. You have friends in the National Football League and sometimes that friendship goes way back. I think they’ve known each other for a long time, so it’s nothing serious about it. What’s DT supposed to do? ‘No man, I’m not switching jerseys with you. I just feel that it’s not that serious. It’s cool.”

Bad look? Maybe for a second. Bad intentions? Certainly not.