The New Orleans Saints are expected to be without their No. 1 wideout Michael Thomas at the start of the 2021 NFL campaign. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Saints will place Thomas on the physically unable to perform list, which causes the player to be ineligible for the first six weeks of the regular season.
As Schefter points out, Thomas only has to miss five games before returning as the Saints have an early bye week. The 28-year-old star is currently recovering from ankle surgery.
Thomas is expected to be at the Saints’ disposal as soon as he’s eligible, as head coach Sean Payton told reporters that the Pro Bowler is recovering faster than expected. Until then, New Orleans is expected to lean on their 2018 third-round pick Tre’Quan Smith and sophomore wideout Marquez Callaway.
After missing only one game in his first four years in the league, Michael Thomas missed a total of nine games in 2020. He suffered a high ankle sprain in the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and didn’t return until Week 9. The injury continued to bother Thomas throughout the season, and he had one more stint on the injured reserves later on. He finished the campaign with 40 catches for 438 yards and zero touchdowns.
In order to deal with the lingering ankle injury, Thomas decided to undergo surgery in June. But the timing of the injury ended up causing a rift between him and the organization, as the Saints believed he should have had the procedure earlier in the offseason. Still, the two sides reportedly got back on the same page after several conversations.
