There's a lot of excitement surrounding the New Orleans Saints for the 2023 season with new quarterback Derek Carr on the roster plus other key offseason and NFL Draft additions. 

Another huge reason there's a buzz in New Orleans is wide receiver, Michael Thomas. Once one of the most feared players in his position, Thomas is working his way back from a foot injury that forced him to miss 14 games in 2022.

New Orleans showed great confidence that the upcoming season will be a turnaround for Thomas that they reworked his contract back in March. However, he was still named one of the players who is entering a make-or-break season. 

"It feels like Thomas has been at a crossroads for two years now. After setting the single-season record for receptions in 2019, Thomas has played in just 10 games over three injury-plagued campaigns. New Orleans is giving Thomas another chance in 2023, retaining him on a one-year, incentive-laden contract this offseason.

"It's likely time to produce or move on for Thomas, who should have a better chance of succeeding now that Derek Carr is at quarterback. But none of that matters if Thomas can't stay healthy."-Nick Scott, NFL.com 

Thomas had about as good of a four-year start to a career that a receiver could ask for. He had over 1,000 yards each year, had more than 100 receptions three times, made three Pro Bowls, garnered two All-Pro selections, and led the NFL in receptions twice.

In the NFL, a player has to update his resume every season, and Thomas, despite his amazing talent, has missed 40 out of 50 games the last three seasons, including being out for the entire 2021 campaign. That simply can't continue. 

Whether a player makes a ton of money or not, availability is the best ability, and Thomas hasn't been reliable for several years. So, if that turns out to be the case in 2023, the Saints will need to move on and put their trust in guys like Chris Olave and rookie A.T. Perry at the receiver position going forward. 

Feature image via Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports