— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 8, 2020
Well, that’s that: New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas is active for the first time since Week 1, having missed seven weeks due to injuries and a one-game benching. Thomas turned in several days of limited participation in Saints practice before dressing out for Sunday night’s game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The return of the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year can’t be understated, even if he’s playing on a pitch count. Having him back in the lineup will demand coverage assignments shifted towards him — and away from other weapons like Alvin Kamara, Emmanuel Sanders, and Jared Cook. It’s a lot for Drew Brees to work with.
Remember, linebacker Kwon Alexander (recently acquired in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers) is not yet eligible to play while the Saints have been granted a one-week roster exemption. He’s expected to debut next week against his old 49ers team.
Here is the full list of inactive players from both squads in Week 9:
From the Saints
- LB Kwon Alexander (roster exemption)
- OT Derrick Kelly
- RB Ty Montgomery
- CB Ken Crawley
From the Buccaneers
- G Ali Marpet (concussion)
- QB Ryan Griffin
- WR Justin Watson
- RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn
- DL Khalil Davis
