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The New Orleans Saints offered to make Michael Thomas the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL, but he still wants more, which is why he is holding out of Saints' training camp.
Thomas is said to be seeking a deal that would pay him $20 million annually, which would make him the first wide out in NFL history to make $20 million a year, but New Orleans has not gone that far yet, as the Saints are reportedly offering somewhere between $18-19 million per year.
Still, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis is remaining optimistic and is hoping for a swift end to the current standoff.
“That’s the business of football and it’s always been the business of football,” Loomis said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I’d like to be able to say, ‘Hey, we’re close,’ [or] ‘We’re not close.’ These things aren’t always just financial. There’s structure and there’s guarantee and a lot of moving elements. Hopefully we’ll get this resolved fairly quickly but not yet.”
Thomas is entering the final year of his current deal and is scheduled to make $1.1 million in 2019.
The 26-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Ohio State, was originally selected by the Saints in the second round (47th pick overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.
He had a terrific rookie year, catching 92 passes for 1,137 yards and nine touchdowns. Then, the following year, Thomas hauled in 104 receptions for 1,245 yards and five scores, making the Pro Bowl as a result.
The Los Angeles native went on to have his best season in 2018, however, leading the league with 125 receptions and racking up 1,405 yards and nine touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl appearance and a First-Team All-Pro selection.
