Star wide receiver Michael Thomas, last year's NFL Offensive Player of the Year, is rumored to be on the trading block after fighting with a New Orleans Saints teammate and sitting out another game with an injury.

Now longtime Saints head coach Sean Payton is entering the fray. Payton, a champion coach with the franchise back in 2009-10, replied to the report of Thomas possibly getting traded bashing “NFL insiders” as truthfully being “outsiders” (via ESPN's Jenna Laine).

According to Katherine Terrell of The Athletic, Payton soon afterwards changed his public Twitter account to private, so people not already following the distinguished Saints coach cannot see his tweets.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on Saturday morning suggested the Saints could be preparing for Thomas' exit:

Two weeks ago, Thomas punched a teammate during practice. The Saints suspended him without really suspending him, fining him the amount of a game check and not putting him on the active roster for a Monday night game against the Chargers. Now, Thomas has a hamstring injury to go along with the high ankle sprain that he suffered six weeks ago tomorrow.

Only Thomas and the Saints know whether he could actually play on Sunday, or whether he’s simply being parked to preserve potential trade value. Only Thomas (and his agents) and the Saints know whether the two sides are thinking about going their separate ways and hoping that someone will call the Saints and initiate discussions aimed at making it happen.

Thomas has only appeared in one game during the 2020 NFL season for the Saints, recording three receptions for 17 yards. This comes a season removed from his star-making campaign in New Orleans last year—a record-breaking 149 catches for 1,725 receiving yards and nine touchdowns en route to an All-Pro nod and Thomas' third consecutive Pro Bowl selection.

Thomas is only 27 years old and entering his prime, becoming a staple in the offense and a safety valve for veteran quarterback Drew Brees.

The Saints are seeing the rise of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South division and perhaps are looking to trade one of their biggest assets in Thomas before the Nov. 3 deadline.

According to Payton, though, those rumors are flatly wrong.