New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas might have to wait a lot longer than initially thought with regards to his return to action. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Thomas has suffered a health setback with a new ankle issue popping up, which likely means that any projection for a Week 9, 10, or even 11 appearance on the field might not happen at all.

FROM@GMFB: #Saints WR Michael Thomas has a new issue with his ankle that necessitated an appointment with a specialist recently, sources say. His return date off the PUP list is unpredictable. This is why New Orleans tried to trade for a WR yesterday.

Thomas suffered an ankle injury in the 2020 NFL season that cost him the majority of that campaign. He went under the knife to repair that lower-body issue in the offseason, with some expecting that he will be fit to see football action sometime around late October and early November, which at present no longer seems plausible.

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Without Thomas on the field plus the retirement of quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints; air attack has taken a significant dip this season. New Orleans is just 31st in the NFL in passing yards and last in pass play percentage.

The Saints are also without quarterback Jameis Winston for the rest of the season after he suffered a torn ACL in Week 8's win against the  Tampa Bay Buccaneers, thus adding to the roster problems of Sean Payton's offense that will now have to ask a lot more from running back Alvin Kamara.