The New Orleans Saints are making some big changes on offense, and for the first time since 2016, their offense won't feature wide receiver Michael Thomas. After another campaign plagued by injuries and inconsistent production, the Saints opted to release Thomas, and he will end up playing for a team other than New Orleans for the first time in his career in 2024.
While Thomas has had some problems on the field over the past few seasons, things haven't been going great for him off the field either. Thomas recently found himself facing misdemeanor criminal charges for a simple battery and criminal mischief incident, and while the case hasn't been dropped yet, it will be dropped once the veteran wideout finishes a six-month pre-trial diversion program.
“Former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas on Wednesday agreed to enter diversion instead of heading to trial on the misdemeanor criminal charges he faced following his arrest in Kenner in the fall…Thomas must first completed six months of pre-trial diversion for the charges of charges of simple battery and criminal mischief, according to court records.” – Michelle Hunter, NOLA.com
Michael Thomas looking to clean up off-field issues
Thomas isn't exactly out of the woods just yet, but he has a path in place to avoid going to trial for this case, which is certainly a positive development for him. As he looks to find a new home for the first time in his career, avoiding unnecessary distractions off the field is going to be crucial, so resolving this incident as quickly as possible is key.
On the field, Thomas is going to be looking to find his way with a new squad after New Orleans moved on from him. Over the first four seasons of his career, Thomas was arguably the most productive wide receiver in the league, but the ensuing four seasons, he's only played in a total of 20 games. He's likely not going to reach the highs from earlier in his career, but when he's healthy, Thomas still has something to offer as a solid secondary receiver.
The 2023 campaign was a step in the right direction for Thomas, as he played in ten games for the first time since 2019, and put up some decent numbers in the Saints ugly offense (39 REC, 448 YDS, 1 TD). Assuming he can carve out a role with a playoff contender and actually stay healthy, Thomas should be able to put up some decent numbers in 2024.
There are obviously going to be teams that are wary of signing Thomas given his struggles with injuries, production, and now these off-field woes, but in the right situation, he could be a diamond in the rough. For now, the talented pass catcher has some bigger fish to fry when it comes to his legal drama, but he will surely be looking to find a new team to join in the NFL in short order.
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