Saints wanted Michael Thomas out? NFL insider says team tried to trade WR at deadline
Some would say that Michael Thomas, star receiver of the New Orleans Saints, has been a gift and a curse for the franchise. As a gift, Michael Thomas has some of the best hands this side of Cris Carter and Larry Fitzgerald.
Thomas was the 2019 NFL Offensive Player of the Year and a two-time All-Pro receiver in 2018 and 2019, so it's no wonder that his twitter handle of "Can't Guard Mike" is what it is.
As for the curse, Thomas has been much maligned by fans and some in the organization because of the handling of several of his injuries. In Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season, Thomas suffered a severe ankle injury that plagued him throughout that entire season.
After the 2020 season, Thomas was expected to have surgery early to be ready for this year's season but he waited until the summer to elect to have the surgery.
Just today, it was announced that Thomas will not return this season and an NFL insider revealed that the Saints attempted to trade Thomas before yesterday's trade deadline.
https://t.co/cwok7uP1cd
NFL insider reveals Saints tried to trade Michael Thomas before the trade deadline
NFL insider Ian Rapoport revealed that before yesterday's 4:00 p.m. ET trade deadline, the New Orleans Saints attempted to trade their star receiver for another receiver.
FROM @GMFB: #Saints WR Michael Thomas has a new issue with his ankle that necessitated an appointment with a specialist recently, sources say. His return date off the PUP list is unpredictable. This is why New Orleans tried to trade for a WR yesterday. https://t.co/dJNXlr3YH3
This may come as a surprise to some and perhaps not so much to others. There has been animosity brewing between Thomas and the Saints organization over the fact that the receiver waited too late to have surgery on his ankle, to the dismay of head coach Sean Payton.
Over the summer, after Thomas elected to finally have the surgery performed on his injured ankle, here is what Payton had to say about the timing of the surgery:
"Obviously, we would have liked that to have happened earlier than later. Quite honestly, it should have."
When pressed further at the time for a follow-up response, Payton simply stated that he was "going to leave it at that."
What's next for the Saints?
The Saints are no strangers to adversity as they have faced much of it recently. Just this past Sunday, Saints quarterback Jameis Winston tore his ACL and is now slated to miss the entire season. The quarterback also suffered damage to his MCL.
To make things worse, the Saints had to turn to third-string quarterback Trevor Siemian because Taysom Hill, the second-string quarterback, missed the game due to being in concussion protocol.
Without Winston and now Thomas out, the Saints may need a Hail Mary pass in the worst way...unfortunately, we don't know who will throw it!