New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas is likely to have surgeries on both the torn deltoid and other injured ligaments in his high ankle this offseason, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday.
Thomas knew it was likely Drew Brees‘ last year and didn’t want to miss out on the final opportunity to try and win a Super Bowl with him. He often wouldn’t practice all week yet would still play in games — at much less than 100% — after taking pain medication, the source said.
The coaches told him even as injured as he was, they were much better off with him than without him, the source said.
Thomas played in just seven regular-season games in 2020 because of a nagging ankle injury that he suffered in Week 1. He returned from injured reserve for the NFC wild-card game vs. Chicago, scoring his first touchdown of the season, after the Saints decided to rest him over the final three games of the regular season to try and get him as close to 100% as possible for the playoffs.
The NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2019 after setting a league record with 149 catches, Thomas had just 40 receptions for 438 yards with no touchdowns in seven games this season.
