The New Orleans Saints lost future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees to retirement this offseason. Now, they will open their season without their star wide receiver Michael Thomas.
Thomas underwent surgery to repair ankle ligaments in June and is expected to miss the start of the season as a result.
The recovery time is reportedly around four months. The Saints have a Week 6 bye, so Thomas could be activated at that point if all goes to plan. The Saints are scheduled to play Green Bay, Carolina, New England, New York Giants, and Washington without him.
The operation stems from last season’s ankle injury that caused Thomas to miss nine games. He still caught 40 passes for 438 yards, but no touchdowns — all the lowest outputs of his stellar career.
Thomas was Brees’ go-to guy in the past, and extended that courtesy to Taysom Hill when he started from Week 10-13. In those weeks, Thomas hauled in 30 catches for 343 yards on 37 targets. He’s still the top receiving threat, whether Hill or Jameis Winston wins the Saints QB gig.
Behind Thomas, the Saints don’t have many experienced wide receivers after losing Emmanuel Sanders and Jared Cook in free agency. Fourth-year receiver Tre’Quan Smith is expected to be the next man up with Marquez Callaway and Deonte Harris filling in behind him.
The 28-year-old is a two-time reception leader and has career totals of 510 receptions, 5,950 yards, and 32 touchdowns in five seasons. He was selected to First-Team All-Pro honors in 2018 and 2019 as well as three Pro Bowls. He will be a big loss for the Saints, who are trying to find their offensive identity in the post-Brees era of New Orleans.