Dennis Allen: WR Michael Thomas to be 'good to go' for Saints training camp
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It has been a tumultuous couple of seasons for New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas. In the early goings of the 2020 season, he suffered a high-ankle sprain which effectively limited his production and availability for a year and a half, though he did play through it that year.
After missing all of 2021, Thomas made his return to the Saints in a big way with a fantastic start to last year, but unfortunately was again cut short by a dislocated toe on the same foot. But all is not lost when it comes to his highly-anticipated return.
Sep 11, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas (13) celebrates after a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
After agreeing to return to New Orleans after the acquisition of quarterback Derek Carr, Thomas' timeline is in keen focus. Saints head coach Dennis Allen updates that the expectations for Thomas' 2023 return are positive. He provided the update on the Rich Eisen Show early this week:
"Right now he’s still going through some of the rehab process. He had some hardware removed out of that foot that he had surgery on this past season. He’s doing really well. He’s working extremely hard. Our anticipation is that... he’ll be limited throughout this offseason. But our anticipation is that when we get to training camp that he’ll be good to go."
That is big news for the Saints who have been building quite the offensive attack this offseason around Carr. Thomas is joined in the wide receiver room by second-year standouts Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed among others to create an explosive attack on the perimeter. The Saints have also bolstered their backfield which already features star backs Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams by drafting explosive TCU running back Kendre Miller. And of course, the recent addition of tight end Foster Moreau alongside the already-rostered Juwan Johnson and Taysom Hill is generating a ton of excitement. A healthy Thomas goes a long way in this system.
Thomas appeared in three games in 2022 piling on an average of 57 receiving yards in each and catching 16 of his 22 targets. He also scored three touchdowns over those matchups including two key scores in an exciting fourth-quarter comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in the season's opener.
