New Orleans Saints: Michael Thomas has elongated Drew Brees’ career
Michael Thomas’ dominance has kept Drew Brees at an elite level, and it’s helped the New Orleans Saints continued to reign over the NFC South.
If we learned one thing this season, it’s that Michael Thomas is the best receiver in the NFL. That’s why the New Orleans Saints superstar receiver was able to secure that nine-figure extension this past offseason.
For the Saints, the player that’s been the biggest beneficiary of Thomas’ stay in the Big Easy is Drew Brees. Brees, now 41, has seen his league-best completion percentage stay so high because of Thomas’ consistently steady hands.
Setting the NFL record for receptions in a season in 2019, Thomas helped lead the Saints to a 13-3 record.
Along with that receptions record, Thomas notched the most yards in the NFL as well. That can be attributed not to Drew Brees alone but also to Teddy Bridgewater who targeted Michael Thomas a similar amount to Brees.
This eruption from Thomas has helped Drew Brees.
The future first-ballot Hall of Famer hasn’t had the best talent out wide throughout his career, but a player of Thomas’ caliber who can create that much-needed separation is paramount for Brees to take fewer hits in the pocket.
Combine a top-notch offensive line with a weapon that allows Brees to get the ball out quickly, and you have a recipe for success.
Looking at the numbers, Thomas’ explosion started during his first Pro Bowl season in 2017. That coincided with the start of Brees’ second three-year stint of having the league’s highest completion percentage.
Coincidence? I think not. Of course, it’s not just Brees, but the team’s record. Since 2017, the Saints are 37-11.
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Yes, Brees is a huge reason the team has found success over the last few seasons, but Thomas is an even bigger reason for Brees’ resurgence than just the quarterback’s excellence.