The New Orleans Saints are hoping to get Michael Thomas back after the star wide receiver missed the entire 2021 season through injury. Thomas missed the Saints' first preseason game of the year, but new head coach Dennis Allen doesn't envision his absence leaking into the regular season. Via Katherine Terrell of ESPN, Allen implied on Tuesday that Thomas would be back in time for the Saints' regular-season opener.
Allen pulled out the "we've got to look at the tape" regarding a Mike Thomas question. Then added: "When the ball kicks off for real, Mike Thomas is going to be ready to go, and we're excited about that."
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) August 16, 2022
“When the ball kicks off for real, Mike Thomas is going to be ready to go, and we're excited about that,” said Allen to reporters on Tuesday.
Thomas missed the entirety of the 2021 season due to a left ankle injury. The star wide receiver played in just seven games in 2020 after struggling with injuries, too. The Saints and fans in New Orleans are desperate to see Thomas resemble the player he was back in 2019.
In his last full season, Thomas led the NFL with 149 receptions and 1,725 receiving yards. He caught nine touchdowns and was targeted 185 times on the year by former Saints QB Drew Brees. Thomas had racked up more than 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first four NFL seasons. He had more than 100 receptions in all but one of those campaigns, and racked up 32 touchdowns during that span.
In 2020, Thomas caught 40 passes on 55 targets for 438 yards but did not score a touchdown across his seven-game sample.
Michael Thomas figures to return to his role as the Saints WR1 in 2022, lining up alongside free-agent acquisition Jarvis Landry and first-round rookie Chris Olave. Allen seems confident that Thomas won't be forced to miss any time to start the year, meaning he's on track to suit up in Week 1 for their rivalry clash against the Atlanta Falcons.
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