Category: Michael Thomas

Report: Saints ‘played it safe’ with Michael Thomas knee injury

Report: Saints ‘played it safe’ with Michael Thomas, wide receiver avoided serious knee injury vs. Vikings

Here’s some good news: New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas avoided a serious knee injury in Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, who adds that the Saints chose to “play it safe” with Thomas and keep him on the sidelines after evaluating him. That makes sense given his injury history, the state of the game, and a bye week promising extra rest coming up next.

And fewer snaps for Thomas meant more opportunities for rookie wideout A.T. Perry, who responded appropriately. Perry’s first NFL reception gained 23 yards and converted a first down. His second catch scored a 13-yard touchdown. He’s doing everything he can to earn the trust of his quarterbacks and coaches, even if he’s got room to improve; Perry dropped a pass late in the game when a Vikings defender hit him at the catch point.

But let’s keep the focus on Thomas. He lost years of his prime to a series of complicated ankle injuries, but he’s already played his most snaps (490) since his record-setting 2019 campaign (942). He may not be the superstar receiver he once was, but he’s been an important player for the Saints this season and the offense is better with him in the lineup. It’s early but signs point to Thomas being available when the Saints regroup after their bye week.

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Saints rule out Michael Thomas (knee) after halftime vs. Vikings

The Saints downgraded Michael Thomas (knee) after halftime, saying he would not return against the Vikings:

Things went from bad to worse for the New Orleans Saints. After initially announcing he was questionable to return to Week 10’s game with the Minnesota Vikings due to a knee injury, the team downgraded Michael Thomas and ruled out the wide receiver for the remainder of the game.

The offense could really use him. They struggled to get the other receivers going through the first half but they’ll have to go the rest of the way without him. Rookie draft pick A.T. Perry was the next man up at receiver behind Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Let’s see what he can do.

Thomas hasn’t dealt with any injury issues this year after a series of ankle problems interrupted his career, so hopefully this isn’t a significant ailment. It’s possible the Saints chose to approach the situation conservatively given the large deficit with the bye week up next. We’ll look out for an update on his status.

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Saints say Michael Thomas (knee) questionable to return vs. Vikings

The New Orleans Saints say wide receiver Michael Thomas is questionable to return against the Minnesota Vikings with a knee injury:

The New Orleans Saints announced at the end of the first quarter that wide receiver Michael Thomas would be questionable to return against the Minnesota Vikings with a knee injury.

He received an extended look from team medical staff in the blue sideline tent and was spotted on the bench with his position coach Kodi Burns reviewing plays on a tablet. He was wearing a ball cap, not a helmet, during their first possession in the second quarter.

Thomas exiting did open an opportunity for rookie draft pick A.T. Perry, who caught his first NFL reception to gain 23 yards. But Perry was targeted later and lost his footing on the U.S. Bank Stadium turf, leading to an incomplete pass. He needs more experience.

Update: The Saints announced after halftime that Thomas would not return, having ruled him out for the rest of the game.

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Michael Thomas responds to Kenner incident with ‘Friday’ reference

Michael Thomas responded to Friday night’s Kenner incident with a reference to the classic comedy film ‘Friday’

Michael Thomas doesn’t appear to be too worried about his Friday night arrest in Kenner. The New Orleans Saints wide receiver was involved in an altercation with a construction worker that led his arrest and misdemeanor charges for simple battery and criminal mischief. The incident is not impacting his availability for Sunday’s road game with the Minnesota Vikings.

And Thomas responded to the whole ordeal with an on-point reference to the classic comedy film Friday starring Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, and Nia Long. Thomas shared a clip from the film on Instagram and X, the social media network formerly known as Twitter, featuring the actor Ronn Riser as the protagonist’s neighbor Stanley; who repeatedly asks bystanders “Could y’all stay off my grass please?” in a running gag over the course of the story.

This incident started when construction crews working on a home in Thomas’s neighborhood allegedly trespassed and blocked access to his property over the course of several weeks, which lends credence to Thomas’s complaint. We’ll have to wait for the legal process to play out, but Thomas is expected to play for the Saints on Sunday and in the games remaining on their schedule this season.

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Kenner PD releases statement, announces charges in Michael Thomas arrest

The Kenner police department announced charges against Michael Thomas after arresting him Friday night:

The Kenner police department announced charges against New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas after arresting him Friday night, according to a press release shared by WDSU’s Travers Mackel. Thomas faces counts of simple battery and criminal mischief — both misdemeanors — after an altercation with a contractor working on a home in his neighborhood.

Thomas was booked and released without incident, and he is expected to play in the Saints’ road game with the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

The release from Kenner police clarified that these charges will be adjudicated in the city mayor’s court. In Louisiana, simple battery carries a fine of up to $1,000 and/or imprisonment for up to six months. The second misdemeanor for criminal mischief may result in a fine of up to $500 and/or six months’ imprisonment. Neither charge has a minimum sentence.

We’ll have to wait and see how the legal process plays out here, but it doesn’t appear that Thomas will be unavailable for the Saints in the foreseeable future.

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Saints WR Michael Thomas arrested in Kenner, expected to play vs Vikings

Saints issue statement after Michael Thomas arrested in Kenner; WR expected to play vs. Vikings

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas was arrested by Kenner police on Friday afternoon, with the team sharing a brief statement once news broke late Friday evening. Thomas was involved in an altercation with construction contractors who were allegedly trespassing and blocking access to his property while working on a neighboring home.

Per a Saints team spokesman, “We are aware of the incident and are gathering information.”

This sounds like it was more of a privacy/property dispute than anything, but this is a fluid situation. Kenner PD has not announced any charges, and Thomas is expected to play Sunday, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. We’ll keep an eye out for more details once they become available.

Update: A press release from Kenner PD says Thomas was charged with simple battery and criminal mischief, both misdemeanors.

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Michael Thomas (illness) questionable vs. Colts in last-minute injury report update

The Saints say Michael Thomas (illness) is questionable against the Colts in a last-minute update to their Week 8 injury report:

he New Orleans Saints announced Saturday evening that wide receiver Michael Thomas was a last-minute addition to their injury report after coming down with an illness, and that he’s questionable to play in Week 8’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. Multiple Saints players and coaches have been dealing with an illness making its way through the facility this week.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that Thomas traveled to Indianapolis along with his nine teammates who were also questionable for the matchup, giving all of them a legitimate shot at suiting up on Sunday.

We’ll have to wait for the inactive list to be released 90 minutes prior to kickoff from Lucas Oil Stadium, but it’s a good sign that the Saints chose to not elevate anyone from their practice squad going into the game day. They must be optimistic that they’ll have all hands on deck.

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Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas step up as leaders amid Saints struggles

Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas have stepped up as leaders amid the Saints’ struggles:

The Saints are in the midst of a two game losing streak. After failing to score a touchdown for the first time this year versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, tension and concern around the offense rose. In the face of this tension, two players stepped up as leaders: Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas. Kamara did it more publicly than Thomas, but the result is the same.

Kamara’s frustrations were caught on camera directly after the game where he plainly stated changes were needed. In the following days, Kamara sat down with NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill for a one-on-one interview. He again vented his frustrations, and many Saints fans saw this as a player sharing their same frustration. There was leadership within the anger about the offense as well. 

The authenticity. The passion. The vulnerability. For seven minutes, Alvin Kamara candidly spoke on the state of the offense. Most importantly, he took accountability and was the spokesperson for the whole offensive side of the ball. Derek Carr may be the quarterback, but Kamara is the face of the offense. He also spoke on how told Chris Olave there was another way for Olave to deal with frustration during the game. That’s a direct line of leadership to the young player.

Michael Thomas had a more private display of leadership. After the game, he gave an impassioned speech about the New Orleans Saints culture. Thomas was heard saying, “That’s not our standard. Don’t get used to losing. That’s not our culture. That’s not what we do here.” That’s especially true for Thomas. He wasn’t around for the last two seasons. He’s made the playoffs nearly every season he’s played. That’s what he knows. 

While Alvin took to the media to speak for the struggles of the offense, Thomas spoke directly to the players in private. Kamara is certainly speaking in the locker room as much, if not more than, he speaks to the media. Something needed to change and the two most-tenured players on the offense spoke up to spur the change. Hopefully it makes a difference.

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Bleacher Report labels Michael Thomas the Saints’ biggest X-factor in 2023

Bleacher Report identified Michael Thomas the Saints’ X-factor after returning from injury. A strong season from Thomas would elevate the WR corps | @southexclusives

Bleacher Report has identified Michael Thomas as the New Orleans Saints X-factor in 2023. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox describes an X-factor as a player who can “make or break how a team’s campaign unfolds,” or someone whose “successes or struggles will greatly impact the team’s fortunes this year.”

And their pick was Thomas. Here’s what Knox had to say about No. 13:

“Thomas was once, unquestionably, an elite wide receiver. Over his first four years in the league, he amassed 470 receptions, three Pro Bowls and two first-team All-Pro selections while leading the NFL in receptions twice.

However, injuries began to derail Thomas’ career in 2020, and he has compiled a mere 609 receiving yards over the past three years. He is seeking a resurgent season, and the offseason reports have been encouraging.”

Thomas has the ability to elevate this passing game to a different level is able to come back and play well. He won’t be asked to be as dominant as he was before injury. At that time, he was carrying the receiving corps. Now he is joined by Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, along with Juwan Johnson at tight end.

He wouldn’t break the Saints if he didn’t perform well, but his success would elevate the passing game. He will be a key factor in the red zone and in the middle of the field. For the first time in a while, Thomas will be a part of a unit. He will be the X-factor that determines just how high that unit can go.

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Now healthy, Michael Thomas eager to move on after multiple frustrating surgeries

Now healthy, Michael Thomas is eager to move on after years of frustration. He says his body rejected surgically-implanted hardware, slowing his recovery:

It’s been a rough couple of years for Michael Thomas. The New Orleans Saints’ record-breaking wide receiver has been sidelined for most of the last three years with injuries to his left ankle and right foot, with extended absences leading to friction between the former fan-favorite and some vocal portions of the fanbase.

And it’s been more frustrating for Thomas than anyone. It’s his body that’s been damaged. And what was supposed to be a healing process achieved the opposite effect, leading to a series of surgeries and starts-and-stops on the Saints’ roster.

“I don’t want to use this as an excuse,” Thomas told ESPN’s Katherine Terrell, “But also, when you get surgeries and they put hardware in, sometimes your body rejects the hardware.”

Thomas shared that this was a recurring problem “with both” his ankle and toe surgeries, continuing: “Your body responds and healing responds to it. Whatever, I guess is, the 1%? I guess I’m in that category.”

These kinds of setbacks aren’t common, but they do happen. A variety of allergies and hypersensitivities can lead to painful reactions and disrupt the healing process. Thomas didn’t have a lengthy history of injuries or sports surgeries before these two incidents, so it’s not like it’s something he — or the team’s doctors — could have anticipated.

What’s important is that he’s on the other side of it now. He’s healthy, practicing daily, and looking to be a big part of what the Saints hope to achieve on offense this year. Thomas helped recruit Derek Carr to New Orleans. If all goes as hoped, this could end up looking like a hiatus in the career of one of the most accomplished receivers in the NFL’s modern era.

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