Jerry Rice is the G.O.A.T. It is improbable — impossible? — any receiver will approach the stats the Hall of Famer produced in his NFL career. That said, Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints is off to an incredible start after being selected as the 47th pick out of Ohio State in the 2016 NFL Draft. How does Keyshawn Johnson’s nephew compare to the incomparable Rice at this point of their careers?
Rookie season
Jerry Rice was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers out of Misssissippi Valley State as the 16th player taken in the 1985 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he started 4 of 16 games and caught 49 passes for 927 yards and a trio of TDs. The Saints grabbed Michael Thomas out of Columbus in the second round of the 2016 draft. Thomas started 12 of 15 games, had 92 receptions for 1,137 yards and 9 TDs.
Second season
In 2017, Thomas caught 104 passes for 1,245 yards and 5 TDs. He played in all 16 games, starting 14 for the Saints. In 1986, Rice started all but one game. He had 86 catches for an astounding, league-leading 1,570 yards and also led the league with 15 TD grabs.
Third season
Rice played in 12 games in 1987 because there was an NFL players strike. The All-World wideout still had 65 catches for 1,078 yards and a stunning, league-leading, 22 TDs in a dozen games. In his career, Rice led the league in TD grabs 6 times. Thomas, meanwhile, started all 16 games for the Saints last year. He had 125 catches on 147 targets for 1,405 yards and 9 TDs.
Fourth season
Rice had 64 catches in 1988 for 1,306 yards and 9 TDs. Thus far in 2019, Thomas has started 10 of the 11 games for New Orleans. He already has 104 catches for 1,242 yards and 6 TDs. Thomas is on pace to shatter his current career-highs for a season.
Careers to this point
In his first four seasons, Rice made 264 catches good for 4,881 yards and 49 TDs. With five games left in his fourth season, Thomas’ stats stand at 425 receptions, 5,029 yards and 29 TDs. The game has changed from when Rice played on Niners’ dynasty teams. However, the stunning stats Thomas has posted since coming into the NFL have him on an incredible career trajectory.
