METAIRIE, La. Michael Thomas, receiver of New Orleans Saints, is likely to have operations on the torn deltoid and other injured ligaments in his ankle that have plagued him all season, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday.
Thomas suffered the high ankle injury for the first time in the last minutes of Week 1 and missed a total of nine games in the regular season. But the source said he knew it was probably Drew Brees last season and that he was not trying to win a Super Bowl with him.
Thomas often did not practice all week, but still played in games, at much less than 100% and with pain medication, the source said. The coaches told him that even if he was injured, he was much better off than without him.
Thomas went from 15-17 to the injured reserve to try and get as healthy as possible for the playoffs. He returned with five catches for 73 yards and his first power play of the season in the playoff game over the Chicago Bears. However, he caught four targets in the playoffs division against Tampa Bay, including an almost-attack in which his knee was ruled out of bounds.
Thomas also missed Weeks 2-8 after first suffering the injury, and then being disciplined for one game for a training session that included punching teammate CJ Gardner-Johnson, and then suffering a thigh muscle injury during his repair.
He ended the regular season with 40 catches for 438 yards and no touchdown in seven games – just one season after setting the NFL record with 149 catches in 2019. However, he had two games with nine catches and more than 100 meters he received. during Taysom Hill’s four game at QB, while Brees was sidelined by his own injuries.
Thomas’ 510 career receipts were most by a player in the first five seasons of his NFL career.