Michael Thomas: New Orleans Saints wide receiver to miss rest of the season with ankle injury
New Orleans Saints will be without star wide receiver Michael Thomas for the remainder of the campaign; Thomas led the NFL in receiving yards in 2019 but has since been hindered by ankle injuries
Wednesday 3 November 2021 17:00, UK
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas has confirmed he will miss the rest of the season after a setback in his rehab from offseason ankle surgery.
Thomas, who set the NFL record for receptions with 149 while leading the league with 1,725 receiving yards in 2019, has been on the physically unable to perform list (PUP) since the beginning of the season.
An ankle injury had limited him to just seven games in 2020 as he was placed on injured reserve in December before returning in time to feature in the Wild Card victory over the Chicago Bears.
The 28-year-old had been eligible to come off PUP in Week Seven this season, but released a statement on social media on Wednesday announcing he will sit out the remainder of the campaign.
"I've always been a man of faith and these past few months my faith has truly been tested," wrote Thomas. "As many of you know, early last season I injured my ankle and worked extremely hard over the next few months to get back in time to finish the season. Unfortunately the rehab didn't go as planned and earlier this off-season it was apparent I would need to have a procedure to repair the injury.
"Since then, the team and I have worked diligently, day and night to rehab and get me back on the field. Unfortunately, there has been another small set back which we will have to address.
"To my displeasure, I will not be able to make it back in time for this season but will do everything in my power to get back to the player I have always been. I know God doesn't make mistakes so I will continue to follow in his path, and can't wait to be back on the field in front of the best fans on the planet."
Thomas, a second-round pick out of Ohio State in 2016, produced four straight 1,000-yard seasons upon entering the NFL and currently has 510 career catches for 5,950 yards and 32 touchdowns.
Marquez Callaway leads the Saints with 284 receiving yards so far this season, while running back Alvin Kamara has a team-high 28 catches and four touchdown catches through the opening eight weeks.
Deonte Harris also has 15 receptions for 271 yards and tight end Adam Trautman 11 catches for 104 yards, the latter having been tipped to play an expanded role this year following the offseason departure of Jared Cook and Josh Hill.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport claims New Orleans attempted to strengthen their receiver corps prior to Tuesday's trade deadline, with New York Giants wideout Darius Slayton among the potential options, however the team was unable to reach a deal.
The Saints are currently 5-2 on the back of Sunday's victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, during which starting quarterback Jameis Winston suffered a season-ending ACL tear.
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