One of the biggest storylines from the Saints' preseason opener centered around a player who didn't suit up, with Michael Thomas joining the team for the game in Baltimore.
Coach Sean Payton shared that Thomas was ahead of schedule in his rehab, but wouldn't go into detail about conversations the pair had reportedly had or how that situation is developing.
"Well, look, he's part of the team. ... It was great seeing him," Payton said. "He's doing well."
Payton said Thomas has been focusing on his rehab away from the team. The wide receiver was spotted on the field before the game smiling with teammates as he wore a Saints jacket and hat. He was also spotted wearing his receiver gloves and catching passes from Jameis Winston in the second half.
The situation surrounding Thomas and the team has appeared tenuous in recent weeks, with Payton expressing frustration about the timing of his June ankle surgery, followed by reports that Thomas had failed to answer calls in the offseason. Thomas appeared to respond in a social media post that suggested the team was attempting to damage his reputation.
When asked about that moment, Winston said he's communicated with Thomas while he's been away from the team, but it was a positive for everyone to have him around. He added that the throwing session was "the highlight" of his night, although his touchdown pass to Lil'Jordan Humphrey was nice, too.
"I think any time you get a chance to throw Mike T some balls," Winston said. "You feed him that rock."
While Thomas' appearance was an undoubtedly positive sign that the team and star player can mend fences and get back to business whenever Thomas is ready to play, but Payton indicated that wasn't solely from his appearance in Baltimore.
"It wasn't this big Kumbaya moment or anything like that," Payton said.
