Saints veteran wide receiver Michael Thomas may have played his last down with New Orleans
The New Orleans Saints may say goodbye to a beloved franchise piece from the past near-decade. Michael Thomas seemingly has one foot out the door. The Saints prepared for this, though. New Orleans structured Thomas' contract to find some cap space relief if they decide to release him in March. It will be a hard […]
The New Orleans Saints may say goodbye to a beloved franchise piece from the past near-decade. Michael Thomas seemingly has one foot out the door. The Saints prepared for this, though.
New Orleans structured Thomas' contract to find some cap space relief if they decide to release him in March. It will be a hard pill to swallow, but it seems all but decided after Thomas' recent comments on social media. He tore into the Saints coaching staff and quarterback Derek Carr.
For an extended look at his recent negative posts, click here.
So, will the Saints cut ties with the veteran wide receiver or bering him back somehow for another chance to run it back in black and gold?
My prediction: The Saints cut Thomas and move on from him at WR.
If the Saints use the post-June 1 designation, they’ll carry a $18.1 million cap hit on their books until the summer. Then, it drops down to $8.9 million for 2024 (deferring about $9.1 million in dead money to 2025). The move saves them $3.4 million.
Thomas caught 39 passes for 448 yards and a touchdown with 21 first down conversions during 10 games in 2023. It was his best statistical year since 2020, another sign that he cannot stay healthy at this point of his career. The combo of Thomas and Derek Carr just did not mesh well for most of the first half of the season for the Saints.
If Thomas would have been playing towards the end of the season, they may have seen more success. We'll never know for sure, though. He suffered an injury that did not allow him to return.
All in all, the Saints can move on from Thomas and still look solid at wide receiver. The emergence of A.T. Perry aids in that concept. He is a big-bodied wideout with contested catch and intermediate route running abilities. He won't produce like Thomas did earlier in his career, but he can help.
Plus, New Orleans will simply look to get the ball to Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Juwan Johnson, and Alvin Kamara more often next season. They could add an impactful wideout sometime during the draft or free agency, too.
For both sides, they need a fresh start. Thomas should be able to choose his next landing spot, and the Saints have younger, more reliable options that deserve even more looks in the passing game going forward.
Saints’ new coach could help them add a unique wide receiver
Would bring some value.
