Michael Thomas was chosen by the New Orleans Saints with the 47th choice in the 2016 NFL Draft, over eight years ago. Upon entering the NFL, the former Ohio State wide receiver had an instant effect on the Saints offense. In his debut season, he recorded 92 receptions, 1137 yards, and 9 touchdowns; over the following three years, those totals would only rise. In actuality, Thomas still owns the NFL record with 470 receptions in his first four years of play, and he trails only Justin Jefferson in yards with 5,512. In addition to being named a three-time Pro Bowler, two-time First Team All-Pro, and Offensive Player of the Year, Thomas broke the single-season receiving record with 149 catches over the same period between the 2016 and 19 seasons.
Over the last four seasons, the former Ohio State Buckeye wide receiver has only suit up and played a pitiful total of 20 games since hitting the peak of his career in 2019. His performance on the field and, more significantly, his overall team presence have now been severely hampered by multiple injuries. This previous season, Thomas participated in 10 games and recorded 39 receptions for 448 yards and 1 touchdown. Those stats are very comparable to those from his first injury-plagued season in 2020, when he only participated in 7 games (40 receptions for 438 yards and 0 touchdowns). On the field, the majority of Who Dat Nation and his teammates would undoubtedly agree that MT gives it his all, competes at an exceptionally high level, and plays with a “natural chip” the size of his home state of California on his shoulder. At this juncture, where the rubber hits the road, the Saints will need to make a difficult financial decision regarding Thomas’s continued employment with the team.
Of all the offseason subplots for the Saints organization, this one will undoubtedly be one of the more interesting ones.The constant pendulum between Michael Thomas’s past great performance and what current injury-related years have shown us is at its highest point in terms of his future. I’ll be watching this one closely to see how it ends.
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