Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Saints WR Michael Thomas spent “considerable time” in New York after another setback with his injured foot and received weekly treatments.
According to Rapoport, Thomas has returned to New Orleans and the Saints have no plans to trade him this offseason.
Rapoport adds that the Saints want Thomas back with the team for the 2022 season.
Thomas has been on the PUP injury all season with an ankle injury that initially was suffered in Week 1 of 2020. Thomas had surgery last June that was expected to keep him out the first couple of months of the season.
However, Thomas later announced in November that he was done for the season and undergoing another surgery.
It’s worth mentioning that trading Thomas before June 1 would be prohibitive for the Saints, given that they would clear just $2 million of cap room and take on $22.7 million of dead money. Those numbers improve to $15.8 million of cap space and $8.9 million of dead money if he were to be traded after June 1.
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.
Thomas has two years and $45,448,043 remaining on his contract.
In 2020, Thomas appeared in seven games for the Saints and caught 40 passes for 438 yards receiving and no touchdowns.
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