Michael Thomas never really left. But either way, he's back in black and gold for at least one more season.
The deal itself is a reworked 1-year deal worth $10 million before any potential incentives. That was the topic of conversation on SportsTalk this week, with Mike Detillier and Charlie Long in agreement: It's a win for both sides.
"I think that's a pretty good deal for Michael Thomas. If he's healthy, it's a win-win situation," Long said. "For the Saints, you don't have a huge amount of your cap tied up for him this year, and for Michael Thomas, it's a prove-it year."
Listen to the full conversation in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
The return appeared to become more likely when the Saints agreed to a 4-year deal with new quarterback Derek Carr, with Michael Thomas reacting with "thank you Jesus" on social media when the news broke.
The question for Thomas now will never be talent, but availability. He's appeared in only 10 games since his record-breaking 2019 season due to injuries, surgeries and setbacks. That included missing the entire 2021 season. His return in 2022 got off to a roaring start with a three touchdowns over the first two weeks of the season, but he suffered a foot injury in Week 3 and never got back on the field.
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"The big question marks for me were always one of two things: Did Michael want to return here? And secondly, did the Saints want to go down this rabbit hole again? Because you've had two years where you haven't seen much of Michael Thomas out on the field," Detillier said. "And they were able to [get] this deal done, and it gives Derek Carr a big body receiver. No one can question his talent."
The Saints are hoping Thomas can get back to form and be a major part of a WR room that also includes a pair of up-and-coming second-year wide receivers in Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Meanwhile, Thomas will be hoping he can put together the type of campaign in 2023 that allows him to earn a much bigger contract next time around.
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