There's been a bit of mystery surrounding the future of Michael Thomas in the NFL, particularly after a restructured contract this offseason that appeared aimed at facilitating his way off the team.
But all the talk in recent weeks has pointed to that marriage continuing, particularly when it comes to the signing of Derek Carr.
One of the earlier signs was a three-word tweet reading "thank you Jesus" immediately after the news of Carr signing in New Orleans broke. But that was far from the first contact the pair had in this process, with MT being one of several current and former players to contact him as he weighed his options for his next team.
"Me and Mike, we've gotten close through this process and talking and, the first time I talked to him on the phone, I don't think he wanted me to get off the phone," Carr said. "I really enjoyed talking to him and I told [Saints GM Mickey Loomis] as you talk to Mike Thomas and you feel like you two could go out there and face the world."
Thomas' ability isn't really in question, but his availability has been a different story the past few seasons. Following his NFL-record 2019 season with 149 catches, he's played in just 10 of 50 regular seasons since.
He missed 10 games of the 2020 season due to an ankle injury suffered in Week 1, and then missed the entirety of the 2021 season due to surgery and complications in recovery. His return in the 2022 season went exactly as hoped as he was available for the majority of training camp and on the field in Week 1, catching a pair of touchdowns from Jameis Winston during a 16-point comeback win over the Falcons. But he played in just two more games before suffering a significant toe injury that ended his season.
Thomas, who is an intense and often enigmatic presence, hadn't spoken to the media publicly since that point. When Loomis was asked about the restructured deal, the GM said the goal was to give both sides flexibility. Reports are that the two sides have been in talks for a potential extension with free agency set to begin this week. Thomas reduced his base salary to $1.1 million in the restructured deal, and has a $31 million roster bonus that becomes guaranteed on March 17.
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It's possible that his decision was hinging on the Saints' next quarterback, and if so, it sounds like they found the right one. Carr said when he got off the phone, he had a big smile on his face. His wife, Lauren, asked him why he was smiling.
"I was like, 'I love this guy,'" Carr said. "He's so competitive, and I think just the energy that he brings, it would be very exciting times to throw him the football, for sure. So when he started recruiting and talking to me and all that, he wasn’t even like, trying to recruit me. He's just like hey, when are we getting to work? We're wasting time, you know, times ticking. And I was like, yeah, I feel the same way, but we'll get there but you know, I think that our relationship has grown through this process and I look forward to that relationship growing even stronger.”
The contact with Thomas was one of several Carr noted from free agent tour, with that list also including Payton and Archie Manning, as well as Drew Brees.
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If Thomas does return, that'll be one big question answered. The next will be whether the standout WR can stay on the field going forward. If that's the case, the Saints will look to have an impressive assortment of weapons at the position, with the speedy Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed entering Year 2 after impressive rookie seasons, and Thomas potentially filling the contested catch role that head coach Dennis Allen noted specifically as something the team lacked throughout a frustrating 7-10 campaign in 2022.