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After being limited to just 20 games and less than 100 catches over the last four seasons, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas appears to have played his last down for the team.
According to Saints insider Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com, the Saints are going to release Thomas ahead of free agency. Per the report, the release is slated to happen sometime before the start of the new league year on March 13 next week.
“Michael Thomas has played his last game for the New Orleans Saints,” Duncan wrote.
“The former All-Pro receiver is expected to be released at some point before the start of the league year, which begins next week on March 13.
“It’s not a matter of if the Saints move on, but when, according to multiple sources.”
It’s a sad end to what was at one time the most promising career by a wide receiver in years.
From 2016 to 2019, Michael Thomas was the best wide receiver in the NFL and seemed primed for a Hall of Fame career. He started off with four straight season of over 1,100 receiving yards and in 2019 broke the NFL single-season receptions record en route to Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Sadly, injuries began to mount immediately after that all-world season. He was limited to just seven games in 2020, missed the entire 2021 season and played in just three games in 2022.
New injuries plagued him in 2023 and while he did manage to play in 10 games, he was only able to make 39 receptions that year.
Someone will give Thomas a chance, but it seems like the days of him being an all-time great are in the rearview mirror.