Bucs game in Week 8 could determine if Saints trade Michael Thomas

While New Orleans Saints fans are eagerly awaiting the return of Michael Thomas to the lineup, there are definitely still trade rumors floating around out there. That will continue to be the case for a few more weeks as we are still trying to decipher who this Saints team is.

New Orleans is 3-2 entering their Week 6 BYE and Thomas has yet to play a snap yet due to being on the PUP list. The wide receivers haven’t been good to this point of the season and Thomas could definitely make a positive impact, as Jonny Camer of Who Dat Dish wrote in his recent article.

Week 8 could very well be a determining factor in whether NOLA trades Thomas or not. In case you’re unaware, the Saints host the Buccaneers in Week 8.

A win against the Bucs might have NOLA thinking they have a shot at the NFC South title. A loss, however, could force their hand when it comes to Thomas’ future in the black and gold. Unfortunately for Who Dat Nation, the first matchup with the Bucs is in Week 8 and the Saints haven’t exactly played great in even-numbered weeks.

Saints might have a decision on whether or not to trade Michael Thomas after Week 8

As Kristopher Knox from Bleacher Report notes,

"Trading Thomas would likely net an early draft pick while erasing his $24.7 million cap hit next season. New Orleans is currently projected to be $50.2 million over the cap in 2022."

If the Saints aren’t going to vie for a division title or even a playoff spot, trading Thomas is the best decision for the future. It’d give New Orleans some much-needed dough back and would also get them another Day 2 pick for the 2022 NFL Draft. That’s hard to pass up, especially if the team is only going to be average this year.

Trading Thomas would, however, mean that the Saints wouldn’t have a good receiver moving forward. Deonte Harris has been the best player so far and Marquez Callaway is slowly starting to become more apart of the game plan. Outside of those two, however, yikes, yikes, and more yikes.

There’s no debating what kind of impact Thomas makes when he’s healthy but if the Saints aren’t going anywhere this year, trading him might be best. That’s why Week 8 is important for the future of Michael Thomas in a Saints uniform.