If you only listened to the words from Michael Thomas, you might get the impression things are still up in the air regarding his status for the season-opener.
And if you asked MT himself or head coach Dennis Allen, you'll hear phrases like "that's the plan" and "we'll see." But the look in the player's eyes. The tone of his voice. The grin on his face. The willingness to sit and talk to the media, in itself a rarity. They all point toward one, clear expectation.
Michael Thomas' return to NFL action is coming this weekend. Get ready.
Listen to more about and from Michael Thomas in the latest episode of Inside Black & Gold. Can't see the embed above? Click here.
"I feel great," Thomas said after making his return to practice this week after a long stretch out nursing a hamstring issue.
"I'm ready for all you guys to see me play," Thomas said. "I'm itching very much. I think it's kind of obvious, but I don't want to get too excited for a couple of days."
In the end that's probably the right approach. As has been made clear over the past few seasons, nothing is guaranteed as far as health is concerned. Look no further than the 2021 season, which Thomas missed entirely as he recovered from surgery stemming from the ankle injury suffered in Week 1 of 2020 that he attempted to play through and never truly kicked.
Thomas was limited in practice Wednesday. A setback on Thursday or Friday could change the picture entirely. But still, the confident -- possibly overconfident -- Thomas is back in the room, and that's a massive shot in the arm for an offense that clearly expects to be a force after the meager returns of a year ago. Jameis Winston is back in action, and Thomas made a bold prediction when asked if he could potentially get back to the level of the player who in 2019 set an NFL record with 149 receptions.
"Oh, I'm trying to top that, for sure,” Thomas said.
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He continued: "At the end of the day, the one thing I learned is that the game has not changed. There might be new players that come in there might be, you know, new coaches, new whatever. ... It's all about creating separation, getting open and making a play, competing, being physical. And those things I take pride in, and those things I work on every day. So I like my chances and when the ball comes, or when my number's called, making that play, and just, you know, taking advantage of every opportunity. At the end I feel like sky's the limit."
A good bit of confidence never hurt anyone, right?
In the end, falling somewhere short of that ambition likely wouldn't disappoint anybody who doesn't reside in the head of Mr. You Can't Guard Me. Even if Thomas returned to the level of play he exhibited in 2019, there are a few factors that would make 150 catches -- even with an extra game -- feel impossible. For one, this Saints team will certainly be cognizant of not overloading Thomas as it seeks to get him through a season healthy. He's looked healthy and without limitations throughout camp, but he didn't see action in the preseason. If nothing else, the first handful of weeks will likely feature some sort of snap limit as the training staff seeks to see how his body reacts to game speed and full contact.
Next: You don't catch 150 passes if there's an assortment of reliable pass-catchers across from you. That's the case with newcomers Jarvis Landry and Chris Olave, Alvin Kamara in the backfield and an array of TEs including Taysom Hill on the field in some form.
In 2019, the No. 2 and 3 pass-catchers in the offense were a 34-year-old Ted Ginn Jr. and a 32-year-old Jared Cook. Alvin Kamara missed multiple games and finished the season on what we later learned was a torn MCL. It's not exactly a wonder that Drew Brees looked MT's way early, often ... and almost every time.
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That's not the case this year for Winston, who is still seeking to complete a pass to Thomas for the first time in a live game. Despite that, MT and Winston consider themselves on the same page. The star WR even likened their work ethics, high praise for a guy who prides himself on working harder than everyone else.
"Both hard workers, love to compete, love to get better," Thomas said. "Sometimes we need somebody out there to stop us because we'd just work and work and work."
Couple that with a defense that should keep games low-scoring, and you have a recipe for a season that could be considered a wild success with as few as 90 catches. It'd mark the lowest output of any non-injury-plagued season of MT's career, and it'd be a whole 60 catches shy of the record heights he's seeking to reach again.
"We talk about being grateful, like yes, that's being more grateful that I got my Thomas back. ... He's been on a long journey," Winston said. "But one thing I've always admired about Mike is the competitor and the resilience that he possesses. You know, I think that's what makes him as elite as he is."
But however you slice it, MT is back -- and you love to see it.
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