Michael Thomas was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 2016, and, when fully healthy, has been one of the NFL’s best wide receivers.
He broke the single-season reception record in 2019 with 149.
However, since 2019, Thomas has only played in ten games, not performing up to the expectations that were placed on him, or the contract that he signed.
#Saints WR Michael Thomas has the biggest cap hit in the #NFL in 2024 at 59.4 million dollars pic.twitter.com/xsapcgzYu2
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) February 8, 2023
In 2024, Thomas’ cap hit is nearly $60 million, which is the highest amount of any player in the entire league.
Many Saints fans are calling for the organization to cut or trade Thomas before 2024 to avoid this cap hit, considering he has hardly contributed to the Saints in the past three seasons.
Currently, the Saints have a few other key contributors in their receiving corps, including rookie standout Chris Olave.
Heading into the 2023 season, the Saints’ quarterback situation is up in the air, as Andy Dalton didn’t exactly instill confidence in the coaching staff that he is their best option moving forward.
Thomas’ lack of success in the past three seasons has been a combination of injury, and inconsistency in quarterback play.
If Thomas wants any chance for the Saints to stick with him moving forward, he will need to play the majority of their games in 2023, contributing similarly to his former ability.
The Saints finished the 2022 season with a 7-10 record, just one game off of the division lead.
Although they will need to make a few roster moves, with a bit more cohesion, and a healthy Thomas, the Saints could compete for the division next season.
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