New Orleans Saints star wide receiver Michael Thomas didn't play at all in 2021, and now he's trying to make up for lost time as he gets set for the 2022 campaign. In addition to making his return to the field, Thomas is doing everything he can to help rookie wide receiver Chris Olave.

Thomas FaceTimed Olave right after he was selected 11th overall, and then he invited the youngster to work out with him in California. The Saints rookie spent a week and a half working out with Thomas before heading to New Orleans for rookie minicamp on Friday.

Olave also worked out with Thomas about a year ago. The new Saints wideout opened up about his history with Thomas, per ESPN's Mike Triplett:

“I feel like that was exactly a year ago,” Olave said. “That was cool being out there with him. And finally being on the same team is going to be huge, I can't wait.

“He kind of showed love to me since college, so we'd text back and forth every now and then. … I feel like we have the same mindset. We both want to dominate. We're both competitors. Just when we get on the field, we turn into a different person. Just knowing him and knowing he's on the other side of the field, that's going to make us better and make us go hard.”

Olave just being around the Saints star and learning from his habits is a plus:

“I see it, man. I see the way he works,” Olave said. “If he drops a pass, he's punting the ball, he gets mad. But that's who you want around you. I feel like that's going to make you better. He's going to call you out on your B.S.

“So I like Mike as a teammate. Even as a person, I understand him, where he comes from. I see why he goes so hard.”

With Thomas back, Olave on board and Jarvis Landry now in town, the Saints have quite the stable of stud receivers. This should make life easier on quarterback Jameis Winston, and having Thomas and Landry as teammates should only help Olave's development in the NFL.