New Orleans Saints star receiver Michael Thomas seemed to be progressing towards a return this weekend after a fairly successful week of practice.
However, Thomas will not play against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
The All-Pro returned to practice in limited fashion on Thursday, seemingly giving him a chance to play. But Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the Saints will keep Thomas out of the contest.
#Saints WR Michael Thomas (ankle) is out for a third straight week.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 2, 2020
Thomas' high-ankle sprain has been rather confounding.
New Orleans initially believed Thomas might miss multiple games after he went down in Week 1. Thomas, however, seemed to think he could suit up.
Obviously, Thomas has not been able to give the ankle a test. Teammates Drew Brees and Alvin Kamara said Thomas looked good in practice on Thursday, but he apparently has not made enough progress to warrant “Active” status.
This is problematic for the Saints.
Thomas' absence has been very notable. The Saints have had mixed success moving the ball in his absence, but Brees has resorted mostly to dump-offs and shallow crosses, many of which have involved Kamara.
New Orleans is reeling from consecutive losses after a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1, and the Lions could pose a tough test without Thomas on the field.
Detroit is coming off an impressive come-from-behind win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3. The Lions' secondary would seemingly be ripe for exposing, but Brees has yet to take risks down the field and find receivers for big plays.
The Saints will look to get back to the .500 mark, with the hope Thomas can go in Week 5.
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