The New Orleans Saints entered the 2024 offseason with a ton of work to do. They were way over the projected salary cap, meaning some difficult decisions had to be made when it came to players on the roster.
Restructured contracts have become a yearly occurrence in New Orleans, who continue kicking the can down the road to deal with it another day. This offseason is no different, as they have already reworked the deal of quarterback Derek Carr to help free up some cap space.
Another player who is going to have to re-work their deal is wide receiver, Michael Thomas. In the opinion of Katherine Terrell of ESPN, Thomas is the biggest looming potential free agent decision for the team to make this offseason.
“Thomas isn’t technically a free agent, but the Saints have to rework his contract before the third day of the 2024 league year or trigger massive future roster bonuses. That means he either is coming back on a new deal or will be a free agent for the first time in his career.
NFL News & Rumors: Michael Thomas, 2024 NFL Free Agency, New Orleans Saints Updates
Thomas has not played a full season since his record-setting 2019, recording 39 catches for 448 yards and a touchdown in 10 games in 2023, which could mean the Saints could try to move forward with their younger group of receivers in lieu of Thomas, who turns 31 in March,” wrote Terrell.
In his first four seasons in the NFL, Thomas cemented himself as arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL. He had some record-setting performances and was a dominant player, but injuries have sapped him of that effectiveness.
In the last four seasons, he has appeared in only 20 games. There have been flashes of that dominance from earlier in his career, but nowhere near consistently enough to warrant the Saints to allow those future bonuses to trigger.
If Thomas doesn’t agree to a reworked deal, expect him to hit free agency. With Chris Olave showing he is capable of being a No. 1 receiver, that isn’t a move the Saints should hesitate to make as much as in years past.
But, even if Thomas does return, New Orleans should consider bringing in some help at wide receiver. It would become a more pressing need should they move on from Thomas, but without him, the Saints would be relying on a very young, inexperienced group to catch passes around Carr.
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