Since Michael Thomas put up league-high receiving numbers in 2019 and signed a near-$100 million contract extension, the New Orleans Saints superstar wideout has been plagued by injuries.
His 2022 campaign, one that was supposed to feature him in one of the league’s top trios alongside Jarvis Landry and rookie Chris Olave, has been no exception. But now, there’s been another setback. How long is Thomas expected to be sidelined with his current ailment?
Michael Thomas Injury Update and Timeline
According to Saints head coach Dennis Allen, Thomas is set to undergo toe surgery and will likely be out for the remainder of the 2022 season. Thomas had been listed on the injury report every week starting in Week 4 and hadn’t played a snap since appearing in the team’s first three games of the season. In those three weeks, Thomas racked up 16 receptions on 22 targets for 171 yards and three touchdowns.
After what started out as a promising return to action in a fully-loaded Saints offense, Thomas will be shelved for the third straight year. Over the past three seasons, the standout pass catcher has appeared in just 10 of 50 possible games.
It’s unclear if he’s expected to recover in time for the 2023 season, though he’ll have nearly 10 full months to rehab and get back into game shape.
What’s Next for Thomas and the Saints?
Thomas’ contract with New Orleans runs through the 2024 season, and he’s in line to earn a base salary of $15.5 million with a cap hit of just over $28 million in 2023, per Overthecap.com.
The Saints would take on a dead cap hit of nearly $25.5 million if they cut or traded Thomas prior to June 1st of next year, so stands to reason that he’ll remain on the team for at least one more season.
Come the 2023 offseason, the Saints could also cut Thomas with a post-June 1st designation, recouping nearly $16.5 million in cap space while taking on a roughly $11.8 million hit and spreading the dead cap hit over multiple seasons.
For now, New Orleans will move forward with their talented first-year wideout in Olave, as well as veterans Landry and Tre’Quan Smith at the top of the wide receiver depth chart.