Saints WR Michael Thomas Still A Couple Of Weeks Away From Playing

According to Ian Rapoport, while Saints WR Michael Thomas is eligible to come off the PUP list and play starting in Week 7, the expectation is Thomas is still a couple of weeks away from taking the field. 

Rapoport suggests Thomas is likelier to return in Week 9 than in Week 7 or Week 8. The Saints play the Seahawks, Buccaneers and Falcons the next three weeks. 

NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill said earlier in the day that he hasn’t received a definitive timeline regarding Thomas but the expectation is that he will need time to ramp up. 

Thomas is still recovering from an ankle injury suffered in Week 1 last year. He put off surgery until June and is still in the process of recovering. 

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 three years, $45,448,043 remaining on his contract, with a dead cap of $22,700,000 if he’s traded.

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

We’ll have more on Thomas as the news is available.