Saints stay tight-lipped on Michael Thomas’ status for Week 1
By Kristen Wong
The New Orleans Saints have stayed optimistic about Michael Thomas’ chances of playing in the 2022 season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, but there’s been no clear indication that he will.
The last we heard of Thomas was that he was dealing with a “little big of a hamstring issue,” per head coach Dennis Allen.
While it’s admittedly early to be concerned about Thomas’ health, Week 1 is two weeks away and it’s still unclear whether Thomas will feature in the starting offense.
A week and a half ago, Allen told reporters, “When the ball kicks off for real, Mike Thomas is going to be ready to go, and we’re excited about that,” which suggests Thomas will in fact suit up and play against the Falcons.
Given his recent hamstring issue and ongoing ankle rehab, Thomas poses as more of a injury liability than other Saints stars, yet it’s no secret that NOLA’s offense heavily relies on Thomas’ dominant return.
Will Saints’ Michael Thomas play in Week 1 against the Falcons?
Thomas and quarterback Jameis Winston are the two main prongs of the Saints passing attack who are entering boom-or-bust seasons in 2022.
Winston got his first taste of preseason action in the Saints’ game against the Los Angeles Chargers, and he showed off his passing accuracy and efficiency in the opening touchdown drive before getting taken off the field.
Thomas wasn’t healthy enough to feature in game action, and last year’s top wideout Marquez Callaway took his place among the starters instead.
If Thomas isn’t deemed ready for the start of regular season, expect Callaway to continue taking snaps at his position.
Next. 3 recent Saints draft picks who could be cut in summer of 2022. dark
Keep an eye on Thomas’ developing situation in the coming weeks. All news out of Saints camp has been cautiously optimistic, but any setback, big or small, could see Thomas on the bench come Week 1.