Report: Michael Thomas Failed To Return Saints’ Calls For Three Months This Offseason

Jeff Duncan of Times-Picayune, citing multiple sources, reports that the Saints’ medical staff examined WR Michael Thomas‘ ankle after the 2020 season and advised him to undergo surgery this offseason.

However, Thomas wanted to get a second opinion on his ankle and the second doctor recommended a conservative approach that consisted of rehabbing the injury.

By March, Thomas decided to go this route and Duncan says he had the support of the Saints’ medical staff.

Although, Duncan reports that Thomas declined to return calls from then-Saints trainer Beau Lowery, WRs coach Curtis Johnson and HC Sean Payton over the next three months for some unknown reason.

Upon returning to the team in June, Thomas’ ankle was still not right, which is why he underwent surgery soon after. He now has a 10-to-12-week rehabilitation and Duncan says the expectation is that he’ll be sidelined for the start of the regular season.

A Saints’ source tells Duncan that Thomas simply thought his ankle was doing fine and that he was on track for the season. Even so, Duncan writes that it was unacceptable for Thomas to not take calls from key members of the Saints and he’s lucky he wasn’t fined by the team.

Payton admitted last week that he was disappointed by the situation.

“It’s disappointing,” Payton said. “We would have liked (the surgery) to have happened earlier rather than later. And quite honestly, it should have.”

Thomas opened training camp on the PUP list. 

Thomas, 28, was drafted by the Saints in the second round out of Ohio State in 2016. He was entering the final year of a four-year, $5.118 million rookie contract when he agreed to a five-year, $100 million extension in 2019. 

In 2020, Thomas appeared in seven games for the Saints and caught 40 passes for 438 yards receiving and no touchdowns.