Michael

Thomas

Thomas will be officially designated as a post-June 1st cut. Now 31 with just 20 appearances and 95 catches since rewriting the NFL record book in 2019, Thomas is the definition of “shell of his former self” after a series of lower-body, orthopedic injuries. It is one of the great shames of recent NFL history. Thomas’ pedigree will probably draw some rehabilitation interest on the open market, but it’s difficult to believe he can get back to an above-average level.

Releasing Thomas would result in a dead cap hit of a little more than $18 million for the Saints. Thomas has had a few up-and-down seasons for Thomas, battling through a myriad of injuries since breaking the single-season receptions record in 2019 when he went for 149-1,725-9. Over the last four years, Thomas has played in just 20 games, totaling 95 catches for 1,057 yards and four touchdowns. His 2023 was cut short in November when the team placed him on injured reserve with a knee injury, and he dealt with a foot injury leading up to training camp. Assuming his time with the Saints is truly over, Thomas, 31, will leave the team ranking second in franchise history in receptions (565), fourth in yards (6,569), and seventh in receiving touchdowns (36).

Thomas’ status comes as no surprise as it had been floated that he might be an IR candidate. He injured his knee in the Saints’ Week 10 game against the Vikings. Rashid Shaheed stands to benefit the most from a fantasy perspective with Lynn Bowden and A.T. Perry set to get more looks as well.

This was kind of expected. Thomas exited Week 10’s contest against the Saints with what Allen called a “fairly significant” injury at the time. While he didn’t hint at whether or not Thomas would end up on injured reserve, it doesn’t sound like that option is off the table. Rookie A.T. Perry stepped in to lead the Saints with 56 snaps after Thomas left, and could be in line for a busy Week 12 against the Falcons. Still, Perry will be hard to trust for fantasy purposes with Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Alvin Kamara all ahead of him in the pecking order.

We don’t know the specifics of Thomas’ knee injury, and with a Week 11 bye on the way, it’s possible we don’t get too many details until after the bye. Thomas will have some extra time to recover with the Saints off next week, but a “fairly significant” injury could require more than a week away from the field. We’ll see if Allen offers any more clarity prior to next week, but an extended absence for Thomas could mean more playing time for A.T. Perry, who led the Saints with 56 snaps against the Vikings.

An early injury to Michael Thomas paved the way for Perry to not only see increased playing time, but lead all skill position players in snaps. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound rookie wound up seeing four targets on the day, which he turned into two receptions for 38 yards and his first career touchdown. We don’t yet know the extent of Michael Thomas’ injury, but assuming it’s nothing severe, he’ll have the Week 11 bye to get healthy before Week 12 against the Falcons. With tremendous size and 4.47 speed, Perry would be an interesting stash in deep leagues if Thomas is out for any significant time.

The Saints listed Thomas as questionable to return. It’s been a rough stretch for Thomas, who had an off-field situation prior to Sunday. Thomas will finish with one catch for nine yards on two targets if he doesn’t return.

Thomas was arrested Friday but the pending charges shouldn’t keep him off the field. The Saints plan to have Thomas play and let the legal process play out. Thomas could eventually be subject to a suspension under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

ESPN’s Katherine Terrell reports it is unclear if Thomas was actually arrested. He is accused of throwing a brick through a contractor’s car window and for knocking someone’s phone out of their hand. Thomas had reportedly been upset for weeks with where one of his neighbor’s contractors was parking. Seems like maybe something he shouldn’t have been that upset about. As poor of judgment as it is alleged to have been, it shouldn’t be something that holds Thomas out of Sunday’s game against the Vikings.

This was the first time all season that Thomas saw less than six targets. He was not a part of the Saints offense, taking a backseat to the Taysom Hill show in the victory. Moving forward, Thomas shouldn’t be expected to get just one target again. Prior to Week 9, he was cemented as a WR3 option and should be considered the same for a Week 10 matchup against the Vikings.