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It’s been a bumpy road for New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas as he’s battled injuries since the 2020 season.
Now, the former superstar reveals what really went wrong these last several years.
According to ESPN, Thomas claims his body rejected the hardware he received from surgeries in his ankle and toe.
It’s a rare occurrence, as the Saints’ star guesses that he’s in the 1% of people who suffer from this issue when receiving hardware to help with the healing process.
Even so, Michael Thomas makes it clear he’s not using it as an excuse for not being available for the Saints.
“I don’t want to use this as an excuse. But also, when you get surgeries and they put hardware in, sometimes your body rejects the hardware. Your body responds and healing responds to it. Whatever, I guess is, the 1%? I guess I’m in that category.”
ESPN also reports that Saints quarterback’s coach Ronald Curry, backs up Thomas’ claims.
“He did nothing wrong, his body just didn’t react to the surgeries like it should have.” Curry “described the response after the ankle injury as a ‘stress reaction’ to the hardware.”
That would certainly explain what’s been going on these last few years.
Thomas first suffered an ankle injury during the 2020 season. He ended up receiving surgery later in 2021. That recovery kept him from playing the entire next season.
He tried returning in 2022, however, he suffered a toe injury within the first three weeks that sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
The last time we saw Michael Thomas fully healthy was in 2019 when he had a career year. That season he totaled 149 receptions, 1,725 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns.
New Orleans is hoping for Thomas to finally be fully healthy. If he can do that, then the passing game will be much more electric for the Saints this year.
But only time will tell if Michael Thomas is actually healthy or not. So, hopefully, this is the year we finally see him back on top of the league.