New Orleans Saints: Michael Thomas wins NFL Offensive Player of the Year

New Orleans Saints’ wide receiver Michael Thomas collected a prestigious award at the 2020 NFL Honors, NFL Offensive Player of the Year.

The fourth-year wideout tore apart the NFL record book in 2019 by hauling in 149 receptions, breaking the previous one of 143 by Hall of Fame wideout Marvin Harrison in 2002. Michael Thomas was truly amazing for the New Orleans Saints in 2019.

Thomas’ 2020 stats are mind-boggling: 149 receptions, 1,725 yards, and nine touchdowns.

Thomas earned the award by being the Saints’ clear No. 1 target and, arguably, the only capable wide receiver on the team during the 2019 season.

As great of a season as Thomas had, it’s remarkable because he performed at this high of a level after receiving an enormous five-year, $100M extension in the offseason.

Thomas showed that he had earned his way up to the top of the league to have a $20M/year contract and be recognized as at least a top-three wideout in the league.

There are several great wide receivers in the game like DeAndre Hopkins, Julio Jones, Keenan Allen and Davante Adams, but Thomas dominates the ball better than any of them.

It’s rare for Thomas to drop passes, and he’s shown that he can dominate opposing defenses without a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Drew Brees.

Thomas also caught passes from other gunslingers like Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill, silencing arguments that “Thomas is only good because of Brees.”

Look for Thomas to have a slight drop in production next season because teams will look to have more double coverage on him and dare New Orleans to throw elsewhere.

But the three-time Pro Bowler will still prove that he can’t be guarded, even when the Saints will be forced to add either draft picks or free agents to bolster their wide receiving corps for the future.

No matter how the quarterback situation shapes up, Thomas is a weapon that the Saints wisely locked up for several seasons in the Big Easy.