It’s been a while since the New Orleans Saints last sidelined a player for a violation of team rules. You have to go back to the 2017 season when cornerback P.J. Williams was disciplined during a road trip to London, opening the door for Ken Crawley’s first start (several years later, they’ll be playing together again on Monday night).
That makes it all the more unusual that wide receiver Michael Thomas was suspended for a fight in practice. He exchanged words with defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson late in the practice session before punching his teammate, leading to a one-week suspension before the bye.
Back in 2014, wide receiver Joe Morgan was suspended two weeks after a difficult stint with the team, including a 2013 DUI charge and some in-game miscues. Sean Payton’s patience eventually wore out, and Morgan was released.
Other players have been suspended by the NFL here and there; the 2012 Bountygate suspensions stand out, but they were quickly overturned by independent arbitrator Paul Tagliabue. Former Saints players including wide receiver Willie Snead and running back Mark Ingram have been suspended by the league in the past, and backup tackle James Hurst recently finished serving his own suspension (from his time with the Baltimore Ravens, coincidentally Snead and Ingram’s new team) before joining the Saints for work.
So that’s three team suspensions in seven years for the Saints. It’s hardly a trend or common tactic of preferred Payton’s, but it is something he’s kept in his toolbox. We’ll see where things go for Thomas from here.
