Shortly after the Denver Broncos had been beaten by the New England Patriots in November 2017, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels saw Demaryius Thomas walking up to him with a smile that was followed with a hug.
It wasn't the first warm exchange between the two men over the years, but it was especially memorable for McDaniels.
The Broncos receiver had a gratitude for McDaniels, who was Denver's head coach when the franchise selected the Georgia Tech wide receiver with the 22nd pick in the 2010 NFL draft.
"He always thanked me with a hug for having faith and trust in him," McDaniels recalled to ESPN.