Sep 18, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas (13) warms up before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints
(New York, NY) — The never ending road to recovery continues.
It’s no secret Michael Thomas has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons. But the expectation was that he’s finally getting healthy, after undergoing a second toe surgery in March.
Hold the phone.
77 WABC’s Dixon Dimitrovski caught up with Saints Offensive Line coach Doug Marone on Thursday at the Big Daddy Celebrity Golf Classic at Oheka Castle on Long Island.
“I mean that’s what he is working on,” Marone explained when asked if the wideout was healthy. “We’ll see how it goes into training camp”
Is Michael Thomas finally healthy?
Based on Saints OL Coach Doug Marrone's response… our guess is no. pic.twitter.com/Rag3BoA5vE
— 77wabcsports (@77wabcsports) June 30, 2023
The reluctance to confirm if the All-Pro was indeed healthy causes warranted speculation. The Ohio State product most recently underwent surgery in March (toe), and the timing of his return apparently is still uncertain.
Since making three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2017-19, including a pair of First Team All-Pro honors and the AP Offensive Player of the Year award in 2019, Thomas has been severely hampered by injuries. He played in only seven games during the 2020 campaign and missed the entire 2021 season before suiting up for only three games last year.
“We love Michael,” Marone said. “He is a game changer. We saw that last year just in the couple games he played.”
It’s falls in line with Saints head coach Dennis Allen comments back in March at the NFL’s Annual League Meetings, when he stated Thomas is not 100 percent.
“We’re going to be cautious with it and take our time, and we really don’t want to put him out there until he’s 100 percent,” Allen said of Thomas, who underwent toe surgery in November and in March.
Training camp starts on July 18th, and expect all eyes to be on number 13.
