Sheesh. New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas has missed extensive time over the last three years due to a series of lower-leg injuries, and he’s made his frustrations with that experience very clear. Between a botched tightrope surgery on one ankle and a misdiagnosed toe injury in his other foot, he has plenty to take issue with.
And in a pair of quickly-deleted messages from his official Twitter account, Thomas criticized the “cheap, and uneducated” NFL medical departments he has encountered in “some places I know.” He’s spent his entire career with the Saints, so it’s not too hard to connect the dots to what he’s suggesting, but his choice to keep his complains vague and then wipe them away does obscure the picture.
What prompted this brief tirade? Thomas responded to news of former Philadelphia Eagles safety Chris Maragos receiving a landmark $43.5 million due to ‘medical negligence’ that ended his career.
Thomas has also publicized his appreciation for strength and conditioning coach Matt Clapp and his staff, who the Saints hired away from Alabama last offseason. He and head coach Dennis Allen mended fences last year, got on the same page, and started the season strong with three touchdown catches in his first three games. There doesn’t appear to be as much friction between Thomas and the organization as we’ve seen in the past, but we’re all on the outside looking in here.
And his recent contract restructure set up a release at the start of free agency, which will allow Thomas to see where he stands around the league. It’s still possible that he and the Saints could work out a new deal to keep him in New Orleans, and it would probably help if they can sign veteran quarterback Derek Carr. We’ll just have to wait and see how this situation develops in the month ahead.