The New Orleans Saints have been hoping to gain the final Wild Card playoff spot in the NFC, as they currently hold a 3-5 record and are coming off a 24-0 defeat of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Wide receiver Michael Thomas has been out for the past few weeks with a toe injury, but it hasn’t improved enough, and therefore, it was announced on Thursday that he will undergo season-ending surgery.
Breaking: Michael Thomas is expected to miss the rest of the season, Saints HC Dennis Allen announced.
Allen added that Thomas’ toe did not respond as they hoped to rehab. He will need surgery. pic.twitter.com/h2AtilzkT8
— ESPN (@espn) November 3, 2022
This could end up being a fatal blow to their playoff hopes.
Saints fans are dismayed about the news and are showing support for Thomas.
These two fans pushed back on those who have claimed that Thomas has simply quit on his team by using his injury as an excuse to not play.
Pretty crazy to see people think @Cantguardmike is giving up on his team. This dude has spent the last 2 years rehabbing an ankle injury that could have ended his career and when he FINALLY gets back to his old self he suffers bad foot injury. How frustrating it must be when https://t.co/8R8jIVbZV7
— The Dynasty Economist (@DynastyEcon) November 2, 2022
I see lots of Falcons fans making fun of Michael Thomas for going on IR with a toe injury but that’s unfair and they are overlooking how much stress the toes undergo when running slants.
— Falcoholic Matt (@FalcoholicMatt) November 3, 2022
This man praised a move the Saints made to acquire wideout Chris Olave, as he may be able to help pick up some of the slack.
Last thing I’ll say about the Michael Thomas injury. I’m glad the Saints got Chris Olave this year. He’s ready to take on the WR1 torch.
— Chris Rosvoglou (@RosvoglouReport) November 3, 2022
This man is keeping the faith, not to mention his support.
@Cantguardmike is still one of the best wide receivers in the league. And I’m not about to turn on the guy because of the injury Gods. Keep Ya head up King. #Saints #NFL
— TJAY Jones (@tjayjones8) November 3, 2022
Thomas Has Been Productive, But Injury-Prone
Although he hasn’t gotten the same publicity as some other star wideouts, Thomas has been one of the most productive players at his position over the last few years.
He had at least 1,100 yards and five touchdowns in each of his first three seasons, and he went into volcano mode in 2019 with an NFL-high 1,725 yards and an NFL-record 149 receptions.
But he then suffered a severe ankle injury in 2020 that caused him to miss nine games that year and all of the following year.
In three games this season, the Los Angeles native put up 171 yards and three touchdowns.
Without him, look for New Orleans to go to Olave, as well as running back Alvin Kamara, more often.
