Michael Thomas injury update: Will Saints WR miss time?

The New Orleans Saints offense looks completely different when wide receiver Michael Thomas is not on the field. After missing all of last season due to ankle injuries, Thomas made his return during training camp.

Everything looked good until the oft-injured WR was sidelined due to hamstring issues. What is the most recent injury update on Thomas, and will he miss more time in 2022?

Michael Thomas injury update

The most recent ankle surgery that Thomas had was back in June 2021. However, Thomas’ ankle is no longer the only concern. After looking like his old self in training camp, Thomas missed the rest of the preseason due to a hamstring injury. Early on, when asked about Thomas’ injury, head coach Dennis Allen did not give a timetable on his return.

However, as we approach the beginning of the 2022 NFL season, Allen’s comments around Thomas have become more positive.

“When the ball kicks off for real, Mike Thomas is going to be ready to go, and we’re excited about that,” Allen had told reporters.

This is good news for the Saints, especially if Thomas can move past his injury history and return to his 2019 form. That year, Thomas recorded 149 receptions on 185 targets for 1,725 yards with nine touchdowns. His output was a huge part of Drew Brees’ record-setting season that year.

In 2020, Thomas played from Weeks 10 to 14. His production during those weeks was actually with Taysom Hill as the QB. He still managed 32 of 44 targets for 370 yards.

If he’s healthy, can we expect that same kind of output with Jameis Winston now under center? Unfortunately, it’s tough to predict for a number of reasons. First, Winston and Thomas have never actually played a game together. Second, Winston himself is coming off of a major injury, tearing multiple ligaments in his knee back in Week 8 during the 2021 season.

Thomas’ fantasy outlook

If Thomas’ injury history is important to you for fantasy purposes, PFN’s fantasy team released a full outlook on the Saints’ WR. Here is the general consensus on Thomas and his potential this season.

“At WR23, Thomas is already someone I have no issue drafting as my WR2/3. As the WR32 in the seventh round, that’s stealing. At that point, there is minimal risk involved. I personally would plan to target earlier, but if you want to play chicken with your league to squeeze out an extra round or so of value, it could pay off.”

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