Michael Thomas has been a beast for the Saints since he was drafted three years ago out of Ohio State.
In his first three seasons, Thomas has posted stat lines that receivers would kill for.
In 2016, he had 92 catches for 1,137 yards and 9 TDs. In 2017 he had 104 catches for 1,245 yards and 5 TDs, and ended up making the Pro Bowl. Last season was his best to date, going for 125 catches (tops in the NFL), 1,405 yards and 9 TDs en route to being named First Team All-Pro. During this time, the Saints have become one of the most explosive offenses in the League and one of the best teams in the NFL.
A missed tackle in 2017 and a horribly missed call in 2018 prevented them from possibly winning a Super Bowl. But Thomas is not one of the reasons why they didn’t make it to the championship, and now he wants his just due, and is willing to hold out to get it.
According to Yahoo!’s Charles Robinson, Thomas is looking to become the NFL’s first $20 million receiver.
On the Michael Thomas contract talks: Sources say the #Saints have offered a deal averaging between $18-$19 million a year. Thomas would like to be the first $20 million wideout in the #NFL. A $20 mil per year average w/ the right structure/guarantees would likely get it done.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) July 23, 2019
While the team is reportedly offering him around $18 – $19 million, the NFL’s leading receiver wants the milestone, and by the sound of things, there might be a way to get it through incentives and contract structure.
The question is, will the Saints be willing to give him what he’s looking for? With Drew Brees not getting any younger, will Thomas be able to continue at this level of play during his massive contract years?
The top two highest paid receivers in the league right now are Odell Beckham Jr. ($18 million a year) and Antonio Brown ($16.7 million per year). Based upon his current salary of $1.3 million per year, Thomas is vastly underpaid and deserves a big deal.
With him becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2020, the Saint need to lock their star in now and they don’t seem too far off, so maybe Thomas will get his payday.
