Michael Thomas, in all likelihood, is staying put. The star wide receiver has agreed to a restructure that will save the Saints $8.7MM in cap space (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
The Saints have been restructuring players left and right as they work to get under the ~$182MM salary cap. In recent days, safety Malcolm Jenkins, defensive end Cam Jordan, linebacker Demario Davis, and guard Andrus Peat have done their part by agreeing to similar arrangements. Others, like cornerback Janoris Jenkins and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, were released outright. It’s not clear if those vets were approached about potential pay cuts first.
Entering 2020, Thomas had missed just two contests in his pro career. Then, Thomas suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1. He was limited to just seven games in 2020. He repeatedly clashed Saints brass, leading to trade speculation before the fall deadline.
To recap: The Saints handed Thomas a one-game suspension for striking a teammate. Then, he missed time with a hamstring injury. All in all, Thomas finished out the regular season with just 40 catches for 438 yards. He did manage to catch five passes for 73 yards and one score in the Saints’ playoff win over the Bears, however.
The Saints would have to be especially miserable with Thomas in order to cut ties. His massive five-year, $100MM extension from 2019 means that a divorce would be mighty expensive. Instead, they’ll try to mend fences, because Thomas is one of the game’s most dangerous threats when he’s healthy.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
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