How Michael Thomas went from Saints star to getting unceremoniously released

Five years ago, Michael Thomas was the best wide receiver in the league. He finished the 2019 season with an NFL-record 149 receptions, led the league in receiving by over 300 yards, and nine touchdowns — tied for third in the league. In a sharp dropoff, Thomas has amassed just 1,057 yards and four touchdowns in the four seasons since, and it culminated in the New Orleans Saints releasing him on Wednesday, March 13, designating him as a post-June 1 cut.

It's been a long road to this point, so let's take some time to look in the rearview at the career of one of the few remaining relics from the Sean Payton and Drew Brees days.

2012-15: Underwhelming production, great measurables

College football/sports is my specialty, so I'd be remiss to skip over Thomas' college career. He was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, and he committed to play for Ohio State in 2011. His freshman year was quiet: he only logged three catches for 22 yards. He then redshirted his sophomore year and didn't record any stats.

He finally started to find some footing in the 2014 season, where he finished as the second-leading receiver (799 yards, 9 touchdowns) on a team that relied heavily on Ezekiel Elliott. His production dipped ever-so-slightly in the 2015 season: he logged an identical nine touchdowns and 781 yards — just 18 fewer than the year before. However, he was the leading receiver on the team by over 300 yards since Elliott was still the primary focus of the offense.

Despite not cracking 800 yards in a season during college, Thomas showed off a nose for the end zone and found ways to be productive in a run-first offense. In addition, his pre-draft measurables clocked in at nearly 6-foot-3 and over 210 pounds. He was subsequently drafted in the second round with the 47th overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft.