Thomas, who is bouncing back from a toe injury that ended his 2022 season early, is not yet 100 percent recovered from the issue, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
Thomas, who last saw game action in Week 3 last year, subsequently had surgery to address a dislocated second toe, but at this stage his recovery from the injury is still ongoing. On the plus side, Saints coach Dennis Allen noted that he expects the wideout to be fully healthy and ready to go as the coming season approaches, with the team intending to proceed cautiously with Thomas in the meantime, per Garland Gillen of FOX 8. Once healthy, Thomas will be in a position to reclaim a key pass-catching role in the Derek Carr-helmed offense alongside fellow WR Chris Olave.
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Saints' Michael Thomas: Staying in New Orleans
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Thomas (toe) agreed Tuesday to restructure his contract, likely keeping him with the Saints for 2023, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
A contract restructure in January set Thomas up to be released this offseason, but he then decided to work things out with the Saints rather than hitting free agency after missing the final three months of 2022 with a dislocated toe. He's now on a one-year, $10 million contract that can go up to $15 million via incentives, and he'll be catching passes from Derek Carr after the Saints cycled through Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, Trevor Siemian and Andy Dalton the past two years. While Carr is no Drew Brees and Chris Olave may be the true No. 1 now, Thomas is in a decent spot to bounce back in his age-30 season ahead.
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Saints' Michael Thomas: Restructures contract again
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Thomas, who is on injured reserve due to a dislocated toe, restructured his contract with the Saints on Saturday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
The big change is the addition of a nearly $32 million roster bonus guaranteed on the third day of the new league year. The untenable number comes in replace of nearly $14 million in 2023 base salary, essentially allowing the Saints to realize cap savings sooner when they eventually cut the former All-Pro wideout this offseason. While the Saints would still be on the hook for some of the roster bonus even with a post-June 1 designation, it's still an important restructuring for the franchise, which is once again steeped in salary cap woes. For Thomas, the contract change could allow the oft-injured target to hit the open market sooner than the start of free agency and thus draw more interest from teams. The 29-year-old has played just 10 games since the end of the 2019 season.
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Saints' Michael Thomas: Needs surgery, out for season
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Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Thursday that Thomas needs surgery to address a dislocated second toe on his right foot, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports. Allen said Thomas will be placed on injured reserve and is likely out for the season.
Allen noted that he doesn't have a precise timeline for Thomas' recovery from surgery, but the wideout isn't on pace to make it back this season after he unsuccessfully tried to rehab the toe injury, which he sustained Week 3. Thomas will have now played in just 10 games over the past three seasons, creating significant questions about his long-term outlook as he heads into his age-30 season in 2023. With Thomas out of the mix for the second half of the season, rookie Chris Olave is projected to serve as the Saints' No. 1 wideout the rest of the way, with Jarvis Landry (ankle), Marquez Callaway and Tre'Quan Smith offering depth behind him. Thomas is on the Saints' books through the next two seasons at cap hits of $28.26 million and $27.51 million for 2023 and 2024, respectively.
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Saints' Michael Thomas: Ruled out for Week 8
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Thomas (foot) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Raiders.
Thomas still hasn't returned to practice and now will miss a fifth straight game, but at least he gets an extra day to heal up before the Saints face the Ravens on Monday night Week 9. With Jarvis Landry (ankle) also out for Sunday's game against Las Vegas, it'll likely be Marquez Callaway and Tre'Quan Smith getting most of the receiver snaps alongside rookie standout Chris Olave.
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Saints' Michael Thomas: Still not practicing
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Thomas (foot) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
Thomas hasn't practiced in any capacity since injuring his foot in a Sept. 25 loss to the Panthers and appears to be at risk of missing his fifth consecutive contest this Sunday versus the Raiders. Fellow wideout Jarvis Landry (ankle) was also a spectator for practice Thursday and doesn't seem to be trending toward suiting up this weekend, so the New Orleans receiving corps looks as though it could once again be shorthanded.
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Saints' Michael Thomas: Doesn't practice Wednesday
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Thomas (foot) didn't practice Wednesday, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
Thomas made a brief appearance during the team stretch prior to the session, but he again isn't healthy enough to mix into drills. Fellow wide receiver Jarvis Landry (ankle) also is tending to an injury, leaving rookie Chris Olave, Marquez Callaway and Tre'Quan Smith as the available wide receivers for quarterback Andy Dalton to begin the week. Thomas' status should continue to be monitored over the next two days, as the Saints haven't yet ruled him out for Sunday's game against the Raiders.
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Saints' Michael Thomas: Officially ruled out
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Thomas (foot) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against Arizona, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Thomas still hasn't returned to practice and will miss a fourth straight game. Jarvis Landry (ankle) also is out again, while Chris Olave will return to the lineup after missing Week 6 while in the concussion protocol. The next chance to play for Thomas and Landry will be a Week 8 home game against the Raiders on Oct. 30.
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Saints' Michael Thomas: Misses another practice
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Thomas (foot) isn't taking part in Tuesday's practice, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.
Thomas hasn't practiced in any fashion since Week 3, and with the Saints facing a quick Week 7 turnaround and a Thursday night game in Arizona, the veteran wideout looks to be trending toward a fifth consecutive absence. Meanwhile, Jarvis Landry (ankle) also hasn't practiced this week and may be on track to sit out his third game in a row. The Saints' wideout corps looks as though it'll be depleted once again, even with Chris Olave off the injury report after clearing the concussion protocol.
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Saints' Michael Thomas: Listed as DNP on Monday
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Thomas (foot) was listed as a non-participant on Monday's estimated injury report, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
This doesn't come as a surprise after Jeff Duncan of The Athletic reported earlier Monday that the Saints don't expect Thomas to be ready for Thursday's contest against the Cardinals. Jarvis Landry (ankle) also was labeled a DNP, while Chris Olave (concussion) wasn't listed at all. As of Monday, it appears like the rookie first-round pick will assume the No. 1 wideout role Week 7, but reports Tuesday and Wednesday should provide a clearer picture on how New Orleans' wideout corps will look Thursday.
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Saints' Michael Thomas: Not expected back Thursday
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Jeff Duncan of The Athletic relayed Monday that the Saints don't expect Thomas (foot) to be ready to play Thursday night against the Cardinals.
The report adds the same applies to Jarvis Landry (ankle) while noting that there's optimism Chris Olave (concussion) will be back for the contest. Thomas, who has missed the Saints' last three games, did not practice last week prior to being ruled out for Sunday's 30-26 loss to the Bengals. If he and Landry do end up remaining sidelined Thursday, added Week 7 opportunities would continue to be available for Marquez Callaway and Tre'Quan Smith.
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Saints' Michael Thomas: NO mulled putting WR on IR
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New Orleans considered putting Thomas, who's missed three straight games due to a foot injury, on injured reserve, but it opted not to in the event he was ahead of schedule, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
Per Terrell, Thomas' initial prognosis suggested a four-week return timeline, but the Saints didn't want to put the star wideout on IR in case he was ready to return earlier than expected. The Saints are on a quick turnaround and play the Cardinals on Thursday, which would mark the fourth game since Thomas' initial injury, but it remains unclear when he'll suit up again.
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Saints' Michael Thomas: Week 7 status TBD
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Thomas wasn't recently placed on injured reserve by the Saints in case he progressed quickly from his foot injury, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
After not playing at all during the 2021 campaign due to an ankle injury, Thomas returned to action in the season opener and caught 16 passes for 171 yards and three scores across his first three appearances. However, the veteran wideout has remained sidelined since due to a foot injury. His next chance to suit up will arrive Thursday night against the Cardinals, though it remains to be seen if that's in the cards.
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Saints' Michael Thomas: Out for third straight game
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Thomas (foot) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Cincinnati, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
Thomas will miss a third straight game, and perhaps a fourth with the Saints on a short schedule ahead of their Thursday night matchup with Arizona in Week 7. With Chris Olave (concussion), Jarvis Landry (knee) and Deonte Harty (foot) also in danger of missing Sunday's game, the Saints may be down to Marquez Callaway and Tre'Quan Smith as the only healthy wide receivers out of the six they carry on the active roster.
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Saints' Michael Thomas: Remains sidelined at practice
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Thomas (foot) was a non-participant at Thursday's practice.
Thomas continues to focus on rehab of the foot injury that forced him to sit out Weeks 4 and 5. While he has one more chance to make his presence felt in practice this week, the Saints could make a ruling on his availability for Sunday's game versus the Bengals after Friday's session. Jarvis Landry (ankle) also didn't practice Thursday, but rookie Chris Olave (concussion) returned in a limited capacity, so one of the team's top three wide receivers seems to be making a bid to play this weekend.
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Saints' Michael Thomas: Still not practicing
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Thomas (foot) didn't take part in practice Wednesday.
There's no telling when Thomas will make his first appearance at practice since hurting his foot Week 3. And he's not the only banged-up wide receiver for the Saints, with Chris Olave (concussion), Jarvis Landry (ankle) and Deonte Harty (foot) joining Thomas as non-participants to kick off Week 6 prep. The next two days of practice will forecast who among the quartet may be available to the team Sunday versus the Bengals.
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Saints' Michael Thomas: Not seen at practice Wednesday
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Thomas (foot) wasn't spotted at the media-access portion of Wednesday's practice, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Thomas hasn't mixed into drills since injuring his foot Week 3 at Carolina, but he still has a pair of chances to get back on the field this week before the Saints potentially make a ruling on his status for Sunday's contest against the Bengals. Fellow wide receiver Jarvis Landry (ankle) also wasn't seen on the field Wednesday, while rookie first-rounder Chris Olave (concussion) made an appearance, so the team's receiving corps remains compromised at the moment.
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Saints' Michael Thomas: Eyeing Week 6 return
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Thomas (foot), who is inactive for Sunday's game against the Seahawks, is considered likely to return to action Week 6 against the Bengals, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Thomas will be missing his second consecutive game this weekend on account of the foot issue, but the Saints appear confident that his absence won't extend beyond that. Since Thomas didn't practice in any fashion this week before being ruled out two days in advance of Sunday's contest, he'll likely need to turn in at least one or two limited practices Week 6 to gain clearance to play against the Bengals. Before missing time with the foot injury, Thomas produced a 16-171-3 receiving line on 22 targets over the Saints' first three games.
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Saints' Michael Thomas: Ruled out
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Thomas (foot) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Seahawks., Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
The Saints are getting healthier, but slowly, with Thomas and Jameis Winston (back/ankle) both now missing back-to-back games. The team is optimistic about RB Alvin Kamara (ribs) and WR Jarvis Landry (ankle) suiting up, which would give Andy Dalton a solid group of targets (including rookie standout Chris Olave) to get after one of the worst defenses in the league. Thomas' next chance to play will be Sunday, Oct. 16 against the Bengals, followed by a Thursday visit to Arizona in Week 7.
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Saints' Michael Thomas: DNP on Thursday
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Thomas (foot) was a non-participant at Thursday's practice, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
With back-to-back absences on his ledger this week, Thomas seems to be trending toward another DNP on Sunday versus the Seahawks. He does have one more chance to practice this week, but if he sits out again Friday, the Saints may rule him out for Week 5 action. Elsewhere in the receiving corps, Jarvis Landry logged another limited session Thursday, putting him in a better spot to join Chris Olave and Marquez Callaway as the team's primary wide receivers this weekend.
