Saints head coach Sean Payton said Tuesday that he's optimistic that Thomas (ankle) will be back from injured reserve in the minimum three weeks while returning at 100 percent health, Jane Slater of NFL Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

Payton noted that Thomas likely could have played through his lingering ankle injury at less than full strength while remaining productive, but the Saints opted to put him on IR over the weekend with an eye on getting the best version of the receiver for the postseason. Though Thomas' absence over the final three games of the regular season hinders the Saints' chances of claiming the NFC's No. 1 seed over the Packers, New Orleans remains in good shape to have home-field advantage in the wild-card and divisional rounds. With Thomas sidelined for the Week 15 loss to the Chiefs, Emmanuel Sanders (four receptions for 76 yards) led the Saints in receiving, and he'll likely continue to benefit from a bump in targets for the final two regular-season contests.