Michael Thomas WR FA Tue 11/21/23 4:11 PM
Michael Thomas
WR FA
The Saints placed Thomas (knee) on injured reserve Tuesday, Brooke Kirchhofer of NewOrleans.Football reports.
EDGE Analysis
Thomas sustained a knee injury on the opening drive in the team's last game Week 10 at Minnesota and wasn't able to return. Afterward, coach Dennis Allen called it a "fairly significant" issue, and following a Week 11 bye, he added that Thomas was "going to take some time" to get healthy, per John Hendrix of SI.com. With the veteran wideout sidelined, Rashid Shaheed and rookie sixth-rounder A.T. Perry should handle expanded roles.
Michael Thomas WR FA Mon 11/20/23 2:17 PM
Michael Thomas
WR FA
Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Monday that Thomas' knee injury is "going to take some time," though Allen didn't specify whether the receiver would require a stint on injured reserve, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
The Saints are coming off a Week 11 bye, but Thomas is still in recovery mode after he injured his right knee on the team's first offensive play of a Week 10 loss to Minnesota. He stayed on the field for the next play and recorded a reception, but he checked out of the game and visited the injury tent on the sideline before being ruled out for the rest of the day. Though the Saints haven't provided a proper diagnosis for Thomas' injury, Allen referred to it as a "significant" one a week ago, making it unlikely that the wideout is ready to play this Sunday in Atlanta. Even if Thomas is ruled out ahead of the Week 12 game, he'll still be worth monitoring into Saturday, when New Orleans could place him on IR if there's an expectation he'll need at least four weeks to recover from the injury.
Michael Thomas WR FA Mon 11/13/23 3:01 PM 2 Comments
Michael Thomas
WR FA
Coach Dennis Allen said Monday that Thomas has a "fairly significant" knee injury, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Thomas left Sunday's Week 10 loss to the Vikings early and was never able to return. Allen said Thomas' injury isn't believed to be season ending, but the veteran wideout will be rehabbing through the Saints' well-timed Week 11 bye. If Thomas needs to miss time, rookie A.T. Perry is likely the next man up alongside Chris Olave with Rashid Shaheed sticking in his part-time role.
Michael Thomas WR FA Sun 11/12/23 2:57 PM
Michael Thomas
WR FA
Thomas (knee) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Vikings, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Thomas sustained what appeared to be an injury to his right knee during the Saints' first possession of the game Sunday. He hauled in one of his two targets for nine yards on the opening drive but was replaced by A.T. Perry on the Saints' next possession while getting his knee checked out on the sideline in the injury tent. Thomas was listed as questionable to return in the second quarter, but he remained in the locker room following halftime and was downgraded to out. The Saints are on bye Week 11, so Thomas will have some extra time to heal up in advance of the team's next game Nov. 26 at Atlanta.
Michael Thomas WR FA Sun 11/12/23 1:53 PM
Michael Thomas
WR FA
Thomas exited Sunday's game against the Vikings with a knee injury.
EDGE Analysis
Thomas caught one of his two targets for nine yards before heading to the sideline after he suffered the injury on the Saints' first drive of the day. In his absence Sunday, A.T. Perry and Lynn Bowden are available to handle snaps at receiver that don't go to Chris Olave or Rashid Shaheed.
Michael Thomas WR FA Sun 11/12/23 12:27 PM
Michael Thomas
WR FA
Thomas is active for Sunday's game against the Vikings and was spotted on the field warming up, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Thomas wasn't listed on the Saints' Week 10 injury report, but his status still warranted a checkup ahead of Sunday's kickoff after he was arrested Friday in Kenner, La. on misdemeanor charges of simple battery and criminal mischief for his alleged involvement in an altercation with a man performing construction work in the receiver's neighborhood, according to Terrell. The Saints said Friday that they are aware of the incident and are gathering more information, and the expectation is that Thomas will continue playing while his legal situation remains ongoing.
Michael Thomas WR FA Mon 11/6/23 11:09 PM
Michael Thomas
WR FA
Thomas failed to haul in his lone target during Sunday's 24-17 victory versus Chicago.
EDGE Analysis
Thomas failed to catch a pass for the first time this season, as his targets fell behind not only fellow wideouts Chris Olave (eight) and Rashid Shaheed (three) but tight end Juwan Johnson (five) and running back Alvin Kamara (five). Thomas saw at least six targets in each of the first eight games of the season, so it's unlikely that he'll see such a moderate target share again moving forward. But he's still on pace for career lows in receiving yards per game (48.8) and catch percentage (61.3). New Orleans' passing game has also remained inefficient this season despite the addition of 32-year-old quarterback Derek Carr in the offseason. Expect Thomas to vie for fringe WR3 status in deeper fantasy leagues while providing minimal upside as a rather sporadic red-zone threat.
Michael Thomas WR FA Thu 11/2/23 3:54 PM
Michael Thomas
WR FA
Thomas (rest/illness) practiced in full Thursday.
EDGE Analysis
Thomas was listed as a limited participant Wednesday due to the lingering effects of the illness that he played with this past Sunday at Indianapolis, as coach Dennis Allen told Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com. With his return to all activity, though, Thomas is set to play Week 9 against a Bears defense that has allowed the fourth-most touchdowns (nine) to opposing wide receivers in eight games this season.
Michael Thomas WR FA Wed 11/1/23 3:47 PM
Michael Thomas
WR FA
Coach Dennis Allen said Thomas was limited at Wednesday's practice due to the illness that he played through Week 8 at Indianapolis, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
The Saints added Thomas to their Week 8 practice report Saturday, making him questionable for this past Sunday's game. He eventually suited up, but his workload was scaled back somewhat (67 percent snap share) en route to four catches (on seven targets) for 68 yards. Thomas still has a pair of practices this week to get back to all on-field activity ahead of Sunday's contest against the Bears.
Michael Thomas WR FA Sun 10/29/23 6:03 PM
Michael Thomas
WR FA
Thomas logged four receptions (on seven targets) for 68 yards during Sunday's 38-27 victory versus Indianapolis.
EDGE Analysis
Thomas continued to serve as a consistent short-to-intermediate pass catcher during this season-best outing for the Saints' offense. The 30-year-old wideout didn't seem to be slowed down after he popped up on the injury report late with an illness Saturday. He even logged his longest reception of the season when he caught a 31-yard pass deep down the middle in the first quarter. This rather moderate-length reception speaks to Thomas' lack of involvement in the deep passing game, and he's now logged over 15.0 yards per reception in just two of eight games this season. His production should remain consistent, though capped, while serving as the Saints' No. 2 wideout behind Chris Olave moving forward.