Michael Thomas‘ regular season is over now that the New Orleans Saints have placed the star wide receiver on injured reserve, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Thomas had already been ruled out for Sunday’s matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs due to an ankle injury that forced him to miss the full week of practice.
The good news for New Orleans, however, is that Schefter relays that Thomas is expected to be close to full strength by the start of the playoffs. The Saints have already clinched a spot in the postseason and could win the NFC South with a win over the Chiefs on Sunday. Whether they do or not, that security of already having their playoff ticket stamped does give the club a bit more flexibility to move cautiously with Thomas and simply make the decision to let him rest up.
2020 has been a trying season for Thomas, who missed six of New Orleans’ first seven games this season. He initially missed that first chunk of the year due to a high-ankle sprain that he suffered in the opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 27-year-old was later sidelined due ta quad injury and a one-game team suspension.
After leading the league in receptions over the previous two seasons and playing a full 16-game schedule each year, Thomas will finish the 2020 regular season with just 40 catches for 438 yards in seven games played.
