Sunday’s defeat to the Minnesota Vikings was tough for New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas to take in. That sort of anticlimactic finish to a regular season that saw his team win so many games — and one in which he rose to league prominence by shattering so many longstanding records — can be distracting, even if he and his teammates had bigger goals in mind.
When asked whether he would participate in the 2020 Pro Bowl, it took Thomas a moment to even remember that he was voted into the all-star game.
“I never even thought about it,” Thomas told ESPN’s Dianna Russini, noting that he expected to be preparing for Super Bowl LIV instead.
Thomas followed the lead of his quarterback and backed out of last year’s Pro Bowl, stepping aside with Drew Brees after the disastrous NFC championship game. The first-team All-Pro wide receiver was voted into his third consecutive Pro Bowl appearance, making the NFC roster alongside division rivals like Julio Jones, Chris Godwin, and Mike Evans.
This year’s Pro Bowl exhibition game will be hosted at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. CT. Multiple Saints players including sensational rookie punt returner Deonte Harris have been selected, but it’ll be curious to see who wants to continue playing after the disappointing way their season ended.
