The first New Orleans Saints game of the season is officially less than two weeks away. With 13 days until they host the Arizona Cardinals, former wide receiver Michael Thomas is the player of the day.
Drafted by the Saints in the second round of the 2016 draft, Michael Thomas was really something special when he put on the black and gold uniform. He earned the Offensive Player of The Year award in 2019 (the first since Drew Brees in 2011) and etched himself in the team’s record books during his eight years with the team. Currently, he holds the top three spots in Saints history for most receptions in a single season and the top two spots for most receiving yards in a season.
When accepting the OPOY award, Thomas was almost at a loss for words. “This war was not won alone,” he told the NFL honors crowd. “First, I want to thank God and my family for instilling hard work and discipline at a young age, my teammates and coaches for all the love and support, and lastly, all the fans and people who supported me across the world.” In his eight years with the Saints, Thomas played in 83 games, gathering 565 receptions for 6,569 yards and 36 touchdowns.
All was going well for former Saints WR Michael Thomas… until it wasn’t
After breaking a team and league record for most receptions in a season, Michael Thomas was well on his way to having a career worthy of the Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, it all came crashing down for him during the 2020 season.
During the 2020 season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Thomas was injured on a play where he didn’t even catch the ball. His own teammate rolled up his ankle as he was blocking a Latavius Murray run, resulting in a high-ankle sprain. He would return later that season, but he would have a setback in the 2021 offseason that would cause him to miss that entire season.
Thomas got healthy again for the 2022 season but would unfortunately be injured again just three weeks in, this time suffering from a toe injury that would eventually keep him out for the rest of the season. Returning once more in 2023, Thomas would sprain a ligament in his knee halfway through the year, keeping him out of action for the rest of the season.
Following the 2023 season, the Saints would decide to part ways with the wide receiver. Thomas has yet to sign with another NFL team.
The hot start to Thomas’ career leaves many wondering what could have been. He’s easily one of the bigger “what if” players in recent memory.
