Michael Thomas (WR)

Saints Rule Out Five Starters For Week 7

October 19th, 2022 at 9:34pm CST by Ely Allen

While their opponent has added a pair of contributors in DeAndre Hopkins and Robbie Anderson, the Saints will come into Thursday down five more starters than they were hoping for, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Injuries continue to plague New Orleans as it has ruled out wide receivers Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry, tight end Adam Trautman, guard Andrus Peat, and cornerback Marshon Lattimore.

Peat suffered a pectoral strain, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Saints have not placed the eighth-year blocker on IR, but he is week-to-week at this point. Thomas also remains on the team’s active roster, but the team considered placing him on IR due to the foot injury he sustained, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com tweets. The Saints instead opted to keep Thomas active in case he beat his recovery timetable. After missing just two games over his first four seasons, Thomas has now missed 28 games since 2020.

The Saints, who were hoping to get back Thomas from a three-week absence and Landry from a two-week absence, will now go into their Week 7 matchup with the Cardinals missing two of their starting slate of receivers for the third week in a row. Rookie first-round pick Chris Olave is set to return after missing time last week with a concussion that knocked him out of the team’s Week 5 win over the Seahawks.

Olave is set to see a huge share of targets with Thomas and Landry out, as will backup receivers Marquez Callaway and Tre’Quan Smith. Behind star running back Alvin Kamara and Juwan Johnson, who transitioned to tight end in the NFL after playing wide receiver at Penn State, Callaway and Smith were the top targets last week for Andy Dalton, who has been filling in for injured starting quarterback Jameis Winston. When Olave was in the week before, he matched Kamara for the team lead in targets with six apiece. Smith and Callaway trailed the two with four and three, respectively.

Lattimore is also set to miss his second straight game with an abdomen injury. In his absence last week, the Saints asked veteran Bradley Roby to fill in opposite Paulson Adebo as a starting cornerback. They’re also able to get some help at corner from the practice squad with veteran defensive back Chris Harris who has been called up for two games so far this year.

The Saints will have tough hill to climb in a game that could be a big step in staying in the thick of the NFC South race. The five missing starters will be in addition to the nine players currently recovering on injured reserve. If New Orleans can keep the division in reach until it starts getting big contributors back on the field, the Saints could have a path back to the playoffs after missing out last year.

Saints To Start Andy Dalton In Week 5

October 7th, 2022 at 2:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints are planning to turn to Andy Dalton for a second straight week. Jameis Winston will be held out again, according to Dennis Allen. The New Orleans starting quarterback remains down due to back and ankle issues.

Winston played earlier this season with four fractures in his back, leading to obvious concerns about his status going forward. Allen said after the Saints’ Week 3 loss in Carolina he was not considering sidelining his starter, but this will mark back-to-back starts for Dalton since those comments.

Michael Thomas will also miss the Saints’ Week 5 matchup against the Seahawks. Thomas missed New Orleans’ London game due to a foot injury. Sunday will double as Thomas’ 27th missed game since September 2020. The All-Pro wide receiver missed two games during his first four NFL seasons.

Dalton, 34, went 20 of 28 for 236 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings. The Saints signed the former Bengals, Cowboys and Bears quarterback weeks into free agency, giving the 12th-year veteran a one-year, $3MM deal. That move has proven to be rather important, as Winston has encountered more health issues. Dalton gives the Saints a better safety net compared to the ones Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill provided.

Prior to his ACL tear, Winston injury updates were uncommon. Following his Tampa Bay availability, however, Winston has been unable to stay on the field with New Orleans. The former No. 1 overall pick re-signed with the Saints on a somewhat surprising two-year, $28MM deal ($15.2MM guaranteed) this offseason. He had discussed terms with the Colts, but his Saints recommitment came after Indianapolis traded for Matt Ryan, thus narrowing Winston’s options. Sunday stands to mark Winston’s 12th missed game since becoming the Saints’ post-Drew Brees starter.

Saints WR Michael Thomas Out For Week 4; QB Andy Dalton To Start

October 1st, 2022 at 3:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 1: The Saints confirmed on Saturday that Winston is indeed out, meaning that Dalton will make his Saints debut Sunday morning.

SEPTEMBER 30: When they take on the Vikings in London on Sunday, the Saints will be without at least their top wide receiver, and, in all likelihood, their starting quarterback as well. Head coach Dennis Allen confirmed on Friday that Michael Thomas is out for the game due to a foot injury; Jameis Winston, meanwhile, did not practice for the third consecutive day and is listed as doubtful.

Thomas had just returned to full health after missing most of the past two seasons with lingering ankle issues. His presence, along with that of free agent signing Jarvis Landry and first-round rookie Chris Olave, led to heightened expectations for the Saints’ offense. The former Offensive Player of the Year started all three of New Orleans’ games to start the year, recording 16 catches for 171 yards and three touchdowns.

Winston has been dealing with spinal fractures so far this season, but this would be the first game action he missed in the event he cannot suit up. That, too, would represent a notable setback given his season-ending ACL tear from last season. His absence, along with that of Thomas, greatly contributed to the Saints’ passing offense finishing as the league’s worst in 2021.

To guard against a repeat of that taking place, even if Winston were to miss time, New Orleans added Andy Dalton in free agency. Given the impression the 34-year-old made on the team during training camp, it would come as no surprise if he got the nod over a banged-up Winston on Sunday. Allen further indicated that the Saints are prepared to have Dalton make his New Orleans debut when speaking to the media.

“Our plan right now is to have Andy ready to go,” he said, via ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. “We’ll see how things go overnight, but Andy will be ready to go if that’s the direction that we go.”

Dalton spent one season with the Cowboys in 2020 and the Bears in 2021 as he has transitioned into a backup. He still saw a combined total of 19 appearances and 15 starts over that stretch, though, earning him a one-year deal with the Saints worth up to $6MM. It appears Sunday will be his first opportunity to demonstrate his value, albeit with a shorthanded group of pass-catchers available to him.

The Saints also ruled out guard Andrus Peat and safety Marcus Maye due to a concussion and rib injury, respectively. With that pair, along with Thomas and (probably) Winston sidelined, they will look to get to 2-2 on the year against Minnesota.

Saints’ Michael Thomas Returns To Practice

July 27th, 2022 at 10:38am CST by Sam Robinson

Saints GM Mickey Loomis said Michael Thomas‘ stay on the team’s active/PUP list would not last long. That translated to a rather notable transaction Wednesday.

Thomas was back at practice for the Saints, marking a long-awaited return after the former All-Pro had missed the entire offseason program and the bulk of New Orleans’ 2020s game action. A Thomas return would give the Saints one of the NFL’s most intriguing wideout crews, with Jarvis Landry and Chris Olave on this year’s roster.

When Thomas last played a full season, he finished as the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year after breaking Marvin Harrison‘s single-season reception record. A spate of injuries — headlined by a troublesome ankle ailment — have headlined Thomas’ 2020s career path. Thomas, 29, missed all of last season after undergoing surgery later than the Saints hoped he would. A subsequent setback that occurred during the season caused Thomas to be shut down for all of 2021.

His missing a second straight offseason program this year certainly represented cause for concern, but if the All-Pro playmaker can distance himself from this period, a path toward the Saints deploying one of the NFL’s best skill-position groups is in play. There are notable moving parts here. Thomas initially suffered his ankle injury in Week 1 of the 2020 season. This being a storyline nearly two years later remains an issue for the Saints, who have Alvin Kamara potentially set for a six-game suspension.

Prior to Thomas’ injury-plagued 2020 ending with just 438 receiving yards, he ripped off back-to-back All-Pro campaigns. The second of which included an NFL-most 1,725 yards. That performance came just after the Saints gave Thomas a five-year, $96.25MM extension. Thanks to restructuring, Thomas is on New Orleans’ 2022 payroll at $13MM. That number spikes to $28.3MM in 2023.

Saints Place WR Michael Thomas, DE Marcus Davenport On PUP

July 21st, 2022 at 5:31pm CST by Ben Levine

A pair of Saints players have landed on PUP ahead of training camp. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Saints have placed wideout Michael Thomas and defensive end Marcus Davenport on the physically unable to perform list.

Thomas’s placement on PUP seems mostly procedural after he’s been limited to only seven games over the past two seasons. We heard last month that the wideout had progressed to running sprints, and the wideout recently posted a video that showed him running routes. The Saints have expressed optimism that Thomas will be back at some point during training camp, so it doesn’t seem like this delay will end up working its way into the preseason.

The last time the wideout was fully healthy, he was the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year after hauling in 149 receptions for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns. The receiver’s lengthy absence stems from a high ankle sprain suffered during the Saints’ 2020 season opener. The injury continued to linger, and while the Saints wanted Thomas to immediately go under the knife once the 2020 season ended, the player decided to hold off on surgery until last summer. The subsequent rehab plus a new ankle injury derailed any chance that he’d be able to return for the 2021 campaign.

Davenport’s placement on PUP is equally unsurprising, but it’s uncertain how long the veteran defensive lineman will be sidelined. We heard recently that Davenport had a pair of surgeries on his knee and three surgeries on his left hand just this offseason. Davenport had a stint on IR last season while dealing with a shoulder ailment, so his two surgeries were likely intended to fix that injury. Meanwhile, Davenport said he’s been dealing with a pinkie injury that dates back to college, but the injury has progressively gotten worse and culminated in Davenport having part of the finger amputated.

The 2018 first-round pick has spent his entire career with New Orleans, missing 17 games in four seasons. While he was limited to only 11 games (nine starts) last season, he still finished with career-highs in tackles (39), sacks (nine), and forced fumbles (three). In total, Davenport has 21 sacks in 48 games.

Latest On Saints WR Michael Thomas

July 2nd, 2022 at 9:59am CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Michael Thomas has taken a significant step in his recovery from a lingering ankle injury. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football passes along a video (on Twitter) of Thomas running routes.

The last time we saw Thomas on the field was during the 2020 divisional round. We heard last month that the wideout had progressed to running sprints, so it’s a positive development that Thomas is now participating in football drills.

Thomas skipped Saints minicamp as he continued to rehab his ankle injury, and the organization made it abundantly clear that they didn’t want Thomas to practice until he was 100 percent. Still, there’s been some optimism that he could return to the practice field sooner than later. The Saints have expected him back at training camp for a bit now, and this latest video (coupled with the report about the WR running sprints) should only reinforce that return date.

The receiver’s lengthy absence stems from a high ankle sprain suffered during the Saints’ 2020 season opener. The injury continued to linger, and while the Saints wanted Thomas to immediately go under the knife once the season ended, the player decided to hold off on surgery until last summer. The subsequent rehab plus a new ankle injury derailed any chance that he’d be able to return for the 2021 campaign.

Over the past two years, Thomas has missed 26 total games.The last time the wideout was fully healthy, he was the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year after hauling in 149 receptions for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns.

Michael Thomas Unlikely To Participate In Saints’ Minicamp

June 11th, 2022 at 5:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints’ reassembled receiving corps represents one of this position’s top storylines — amid an offseason loaded with wideout intrigue — going into training camp. Chris Olave and Jarvis Landry are set to complement Michael Thomas for what stands to be one of the NFL’s most improved position groups.

But the Saints continue to wait on their All-Pro target. Although it has been since November when Thomas shut down his rehab effort to return for the 2021 season, the ankle issue he is rehabbing is likely to keep him out of the team’s minicamp next week, Dennis Allen said (via NOLA.com’s Amie Just, on Twitter). Thomas has not played since the 2020 divisional round, and even that wrapped an injury-plagued season, raising the anticipation for the seventh-year standout’s re-emergence.

While it can be interpreted as concerning Thomas is not yet ready to participate in a 2022 minicamp, given how long it has been since he was last at full strength, Allen said he wants the two-time All-Pro at 100% before he returns, via The Athletic’s Katherine Terrell (on Twitter). Thomas, 29, has progressed to running sprints, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football relays (via Twitter), and the Saints have expected him back at training camp for a bit now. Still, the lengthy stretch since New Orleans’ top target was at 100% places his career at a crossroads.

After missing just two games from 2016-19, Thomas suffered a high ankle sprain in the Saints’ 2020 opener. He then encountered a midseason hamstring injury, but the ankle trouble lingered into 2021. Thomas held off on undergoing ankle surgery until summer 2021 — months after the Saints wanted that operation to take place — and ran into a new ankle injury during the ’21 season. He has missed 26 games over the past two seasons. The Saints still managed to finish 9-8 last season, but they obviously missed Thomas, who finished his last healthy season as the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year.

Restructures have knocked Thomas’ 2022 base salary down to barely $1MM, but his cap number jumps from $13MM in 2022 to $28.3MM in 2023. Another injury-limited season would lead to conversations about a 2023 release, which would need to be a post-June 1 designation. For now, the Saints are preparing for a regular-season opener featuring a recovered Jameis Winston targeting a recovered Thomas and his new-look supporting cast. Thomas’ extended hiatus and Winston not being ready just yet provide additional barriers to this reality, creating a high-variance outlook for this season’s New Orleans offense.

Saints Planning On Michael Thomas Training Camp Return

May 26th, 2022 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

New Orleans reloaded its receiving corps this offseason, making multiple trade-up maneuvers to land Chris Olave in Round 1 and signing Jarvis Landry shortly after the draft. The Saints’ receiver puzzle, however, still hinges on Michael Thomas‘ availability.

The two-time All-Pro has not played since the 2020 season, and that featured multiple injuries and an unremarkable stat line. Thomas shut down his potential midseason 2021 return, citing a setback in his recovery from a later-than-expected ankle surgery. As the Saints wind down their first week of OTAs, Thomas is not yet ready to go. Dennis Allen said Thursday the team is targeting a Thomas training camp return, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

“I think he’s doing well in his rehab. He’s not ready yet, but he’s here, he’s rehabbing, getting himself better and we’re certainly anxious to get him out here,” Allen said, via ESPN’s Mike Triplett. “I know that he’s working his tail off to get himself back. And we feel good about where he’s at right now.”

Thomas ripped off four straight 1,100-plus-yard receiving seasons to start his career and broke Marvin Harrison‘s 17-year-old single-season reception record in 2019, when he caught 149 passes. He earned first-team All-Pro acclaim for his work that season and in 2018. Thomas’ 2018 slate led to him signing a five-year, $96.25MM extension ahead of the ’19 season. Although the Ohio State product delivered in Year 1 of that deal, just about everything else since the agreement has gone off track.

Entering 2020, Thomas had missed just two career games. Then, in Week 1 of that season, a high ankle sprain — coupled with a midseason hamstring injury — changed everything. The Saints then urged Thomas to undergo offseason ankle surgery ASAP, but he waited until last summer to go under the knife. In early November, Thomas announced his latest setback — one that has led to this point.

The 29-year-old standout suddenly faces some health-related pressure. The Saints held off on trading Thomas, despite his wayward 2020s and Sean Payton‘s departure, but 2022 stands to be a pivotal season for him. Thanks to multiple restructuring, the Saints do not have a viable path to cutting Thomas for notable savings until 2024.

The Saints certainly missed Thomas last season, when they featured no players with 700-plus receiving yards, and moved aggressively to add some supporting-cast talent. Of course, Olave and Landry double as Thomas insurance. A Saints receiver cadre of Thomas, Landry, Olave, Marquez Callaway and the recently re-signed Tre’Quan Smith would be one of the NFL’s best. But that reality cannot be counted on just yet.

Saints Create $26MM+ In Cap Space Via Restructures

February 26th, 2022 at 9:42am CST by Ben Levine

The Saints entered the offseason significantly over the cap, but they’re already starting to create some breathing room. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter), the Saints created $26.217MM in cap space by reworking the contracts of wideout Michael Thomas and offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk.

Specifically, they converted $14.56MM of Thomas’ 2022 compensation and $18.20MM of Ramczyk‘s upcoming compensation into signing bonuses. The Saints entered the offseason a projected $74MM over the cap, but they have the ability to open a significant chunk of money (with some estimates saying they could save $100M via restructures). In other words, this is surely just the beginning for New Orleans’ front office.

Thomas led the league in receptions in 2018 and ’19, but following a disappointing 2020 campaign, the veteran receiver missed the entire 2021 season. Despite Thomas upsetting Saints brass by delaying an offseason ankle surgery last year, he remains in the team’s 2022 plans. While this does not necessarily guarantee the veteran pass catcher will be with the Saints next season, the team could certainly use him following an underwhelming season from the team’s other non-Alvin Kamara pass catchers.

Ramczyk was a first-round pick by the Saints in 2017, and he’s started all 73 of his games through his first five years in the NFL. The Saints inked the lineman to a five-year, $96MM deal (including $60MM in guaranteed money) last offseason.

Saints Not Planning Michael Thomas Trade

February 12th, 2022 at 3:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

To say the Saints’ Michael Thomas extension has not worked out is probably putting it mildly. The star wide receiver missed all of last season and, due to injuries in 2020, has not been on the All-Pro level in the past two years.

Despite Thomas upsetting Saints brass by delaying an offseason ankle surgery last year, he remains in the team’s 2022 plans, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). After spending extensive time in New York rehabbing, Thomas has returned to New Orleans and has been in communication with the team. While this does not necessarily guarantee the veteran pass catcher will be with the Saints next season, the team could certainly use him.

The Saints struggled for most of this past season at receiver, having cut Emmanuel Sanders and seen Thomas suffer a setback that prevented him from playing at all during the year. Thomas, who will turn 29 in March, has two first-team All-Pro seasons on his resume. Both, of course, came during Drew Brees‘ New Orleans tenure. The Saints are entering a second straight offseason with uncertainty at quarterback, but a Thomas return would do a lot to help the team’s passing attack — if the former second-round pick can stay healthy.

Thomas led the league in receptions in 2018 and ’19, breaking Marvin Harrison‘s single-season record by catching 149 passes during the latter season, but has missed 26 games since the start of the 2020 campaign. He is attached to a $15.35MM base salary in 2022. Thomas’ cap number is also set to spike from $10MM to more than $24MM next season.

The Saints are once again on their own tier in terms of cap compliance, or lack thereof, sitting more than $70MM over the projected 2022 cap. Thomas already converted part of his 2021 salary into a bonus to help New Orleans’ cap situation, moving more money onto the final three years of his five-year, $96.25MM deal. The only way a trade would not crush the Saints in terms of dead money would be if it came after June 1, a la the Falcons’ Julio Jones deal last year. New Orleans would save $15.8MM by trading Thomas after that key date.

With or without Thomas, the receiver position figures to be one the Saints target early in the draft. New Orleans did not see any of its pass catchers top 700 yards last season, with Marquez Callaway‘s 698 leading the team.

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