Michael Thomas didn't see action in the Saints' preseason opener, and it's unclear if he'll get on the field in the preseason at all.
But that won't change the equation for the expectations for the star WR after missing the entirety of the 2021 season.
"Everybody asks me about Mike Thomas all the time," head coach Dennis Allen said on Tuesday. "When the ball kicks off for real, Mike Thomas is gonna be ready to go, and I’m excited about that."
And while that's seemed to be the most likely outcome based on his performance in camp, the last two seasons have proven it's wise not to take anything for granted in that regard. Thomas missed a majority of the 2020 season with an ankle injury that ultimately cost him all of last year. He wasn't active for OTAs or minicamp, but despite starting on the PUP list -- for just a matter of hours -- he's been healthy for the entirety of camp to this point with a handful of rest days filtered in.
That included Tuesday's first joint practice against the Green Bay Packers, with the second scheduled for tomorrow ahead of the preseason showdown on Friday. It's likely the team will continue to play it safe for Thomas in that regard.
Related
The injury question isn't quite as straightforward for the man throwing MT the ball, however. Quarterback Jameis Winston was back at practice for the first time since leaving practice last week with what has been described as a foot injury, but he was limited and didn't participate in team drills.
Allen described his QB as being "day-to-day," but acknowledged his return on Tuesday was a step in the right direction.
"We’re gonna be cautious with that," Allen said. "We’re gonna make sure we give him every opportunity to get right, and I don’t think that’s going to be a long period of time. And yet we’re not going to put him back out there until we’re certain he’s 100% ready.”
Related
With Winston unavailable, backup Andy Dalton led the first team in the preseason opener and left the field after going 5-for-5 for 51 yards and a touchdown. Ian Book took over the rest of the way with mixed results, and he'll likely log the majority of reps again this week regardless of Winston's status. The other name to watch for is K.J. Costello, a USFL standout who was signed last week as a depth option but didn't take the field in the preseason opener.
The Saints and Packers kick off at 7 p.m. Friday at Lambeau Field.