Michael Thomas Returning to Saints

Michael Thomas is returning to the Saints for 2023, which will be a one-year deal with some incentives built in.

Author:
John Hendrix
Publish date:
Mar 14, 2023 1:55 PM EDT

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Michael Thomas is returning to the Saints in 2023. The news was first reported by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport on Tuesday afternoon, saying he'll return on an incentive-laden one-year deal. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that it's a $10 million deal for the year with that is worth up to a max of $15 million.

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The initial move to restructure Thomas was to provide flexibility for the Saints, and it also helped get Derek Carr in the building. Carr spoke highly of Thomas during his initial press conference on Saturday, and the two are expected to have some offseason workouts together.

Carr told Mickey Loomis, "You talk to Mike Thomas and you feel like you two can go out and face the world." He added that he loves this guy and that he's so competitive."

Now, getting Thomas back in the building certainly has massive upside, and the focus will always about him being healthy. However, don't expect the Saints to sink their eggs in just this basket. They could still be players in free agency for a possession player and also look to the draft. When he's at his best, there's few receivers that are better than Michael Thomas.

The Saints offense was desperately missing a possession receiver who could make contested catches and help move the chains last season, and if Thomas and Carr can get on the same page and remain healthy in 2023, things will only be good for New Orleans.