The last three seasons have been especially difficult on New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas. During his first four seasons in the NFL, he cemented himself as arguably the best player in the league at his position.
In his first three seasons, Michael Thomas set the record for most receptions in NFL history, which has since been tied by Justin Jefferson and Amon-Ra St. Brown. As a follow-up, the Ohio State product set the record for receptions in a season with 149 during the 2019 season while taking home the Offensive Player of the Year award.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t come close to replicating that level of production in the three seasons since. He has played in only 10 out of a possible 50 regular season games, as he missed the entire 2021 campaign with an ankle injury.
Per ProFootballTalk, “Thomas said that he’s “really missed being able to come out there and perfect my craft” while dealing with those ailments. He said there are “a lot of nuances that go into” creating the player he wants to be and that he’s progressing toward putting all of those things together.”
Heading into 2023, there is some quiet optimism that he will be able to get back on the field. He was recently cleared for full participation in practice at the start of training camp, which was a step in the right direction. There have been no setbacks and he is taking a one-day-at-a-time approach to ensure everything stays on track.
“I feel like I’m trending in the right direction,” Thomas said, via the team’s website. “Taking every day one day at a time, trying to execute at a high level, come out here and make plays and move the chains for the offense, take great coaching, correct my mistakes in the meeting room and just come out here and add value.”
Making it through training camp unscathed with zero setbacks would be a huge victory for Michael Thomas. It would then set the stage for him to try and stay healthy throughout the regular season, which has been a challenge.
Michael Thomas showed during his brief stint in the 2022 season that he can still be a productive player and help the Saints win games. He caught 16 passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns in three games, proving there is something left in the tank.
How long he can hold up, however, is another question. But, there is no doubt that having Michael Thomas in the lineup alongside Chris Olave would make the Saints a much more dangerous team.
