Michael Thomas is “doubtful” as far as participation goes for next week at minicamp, Dennis Allen says.
— Amie Just (@Amie_Just) June 9, 2022
A bit of a revolution is expected in the New Orleans Saints receiving room this year. A huge part of that is the highly anticipated return of All-Pro wideout and NFL record holder Michael Thomas. Yes, the team made a late splash free agency signing in veteran Jarvis Landry and kicked off their NFL draft class with Ohio State alum Chris Olave. But getting Thomas back out on the field should be priority No. 1 for Dennis Allen and his staff.
According to Allen, the star receiver’s return will hopefully happen during training camp. Meaning that his “doubtful” designation, as Allen shared with Nola.com’s Amie Just, for their upcoming mandatory minicamp from June 14-16 shouldn’t spark concern amongst Saints fans. Thomas recently shared a video of himself running sprints at the Saints’ facility, and the staff looks to be pleased with his progress and dedication.
When asked for details on Thomas’ status and overall recovery timeline, Allen clarified that he’s seeing progress and is “busting his tail to get himself ready to go,” per the Athletic’s Katherine Terrell:
Dennis Allen: I'm good with where Mike Thomas is. I would much rather him be 100% healthy and out here and all those kinds of things, but that's not where we're at right now. He is busting his tail to get himself ready to go, and I feel like he's making significant progress
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) June 9, 2022
Allen’s optimism around Thomas is great news. The Saints ranked at the bottom of the league last year in passing yardage without him. Not rushing Thomas back is a great call by the organization as well. While it will be exciting to see No. 13 back out on the field, making it happen for the sake of minicamp and risking complications by getting ahead of schedule isn’t worth it.
