New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints did not trade receiver Michael Thomas before Tuesday's trade deadline despite speculation he had played his last game with the team.

The 27-year-old has not played for the team since Week 1 because of a combination of injuries and a suspension for punching a teammate in practice.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Thomas' camp had tried to get another team to make an offer. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network added Sunday the Saints were not open to making a deal.

The Saints (5-2) have weathered the storm of being without their best wideout, and now his expected return will potentially lead to a second-half spark for the club.

A healthy Thomas is the NFL's best receiver. He set the NFL's all-time single-season receptions mark last year with 149 and is well on his way to a Hall of Fame career with three Pro Bowl selections and two All-Pro honors in his first four years.

Aside from planning a full-scale rebuild, there was no logical reason to trade the Ohio State product. The team instead is determined to keep him for a Super Bowl push this season.

If he returns to full strength alongside Alvin Kamara and Emmanuel Sanders, this could be an elite offense down the stretch.

New Orleans Saints safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson responded in an Instagram story to the pair of punches he received from Chicago Bears wide receiver Javon Wims in Sunday's 26-23 overtime victory.

Gardner-Johnson wrote that Wims "punch like a female" and took a "cheap shot."

What precipitated Wims' actions remains unclear.

After a play in the third quarter, he went out of his way to approach Gardner-Johnson. He appeared to make a motion like he was snatching at Gardner-Johnson's chain before punching him in the helmet with his right hand. Wims waited a moment before throwing another punch, which sparked a brief scuffle.

Referees ejected Wims, while Gardner-Johnson escaped any punishment.

Wims will almost certainly face a fine and could miss time. Leonard Fournette received a one-game ban when he threw a punch at Shaq Lawson in 2018, though Jalen Ramsey only drew a fine when he and Golden Tate had a physical altercation earlier this season.

Gardner-Johnson might himself be the subject of scrutiny by making a sexist remark toward Wims.

Los Angeles Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr. apologized in January when he told reporters after a game that then-Memphis Grizzlies forward Jae Crowder had "a lot of female tendencies on the court."

New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas will be absent for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears.

He didn't practice Wednesday and was limited Thursday and Friday before the team officially listed him as out.

Thomas has only played one game in 2020, catching three passes for 17 yards.

It has otherwise been a disappointing season for the 27-year-old, who has missed time because of a high-ankle sprain and Grade 1 hamstring strain. He was also inactive for his team's Week 5 game against the Los Angeles Chargers after an altercation with a teammate.

These problems are new for a player who had been one of the most reliable receivers in the NFL entering the season.

Thomas had played 63 of 64 possible regular-season games in his first four seasons, finishing each year with at least 90 catches and 1,100 receiving yards. He set an NFL record in 2019 with 149 receptions while also leading the league with 1,725 yards on his way to the Offensive Player of the Year award.

The three-time Pro Bowler hasn't been able to replicate this type of production in 2020 and has barely even seen the field.

Drew Brees has helped keep the passing attack afloat with Thomas on the sidelines, although the team is thin at receiver with inexperienced players such as Tre'Quan Smith, Marquez Callaway and Deonte Harris taking on bigger roles.

The team will need more of the same going forward to keep winning in a competitive NFC South.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders is concerned his condition could get worse after being diagnosed with COVID-19. 

Sanders spoke on Uninterrupted's 17 Weeks podcast, saying he worries every night going to sleep about his ability to breathe:

"Every night I go to sleep I'm like, 'Lord, please, let me wake up in the morning feeling good. Like, I don't want to wake up in the middle of the night and can't breathe. And like, s--t just goes south, right? That's like my biggest fear in watching that s--t, it intensifies my fears, right? Because people can say whatever you want and everybody could say, 'Oh yeah, I'm not scared to get COVID.' But in the back of your head, and you may think you're healthy, but in the back of your head, you don't know this virus. Nobody knows anything about this virus. You don't know how your body's gonna react and you don't know at any moment, like if s--t will go south, right?”

Sanders said he began developing symptoms at the team facility before testing positive last Thursday.

In the interview, he noted he felt "loopy" and had symptoms like his mouth drooling and nausea. At one point, Sanders' fever reached 102 degrees.

"I felt it coming on that Thursday. Just body aches. Like literally I was laying in bed just shivering. 102 fever...like at night time, like last night, I think I hit like 100. And then the night before that I had 101 and then the first night I hit 102. But every night, like it comes back, my fever comes back. At night time around eight o’clock we both get like these weird like loopy feelings. Like, it feels like we’re glitchy. Like when I’m walking it feels like if my wife was to talk to me, it feels like I’m skipping a beat every now and then. It’s like the weirdest shit ever, and that comes like around like seven or eight.”

Sanders is expected to miss this week's game against the Chicago Bears and likely next week's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A brutal season for Michael Thomas keeps getting worse as the New Orleans Saints receiver is in "jeopardy" of missing Week 8 with a hamstring injury, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Thomas was already ruled out for Week 7 after suffering the injury in practice this week, but an MRI revealed a Grade 1 hamstring strain that will keep him out one to two weeks.

The three-time Pro Bowler has already missed time due to a high-ankle sprain this season while he was held out Week 5 after an altercation with a teammate. He has played just one game so far in 2020.

So far in 2020, Thomas has just three catches for 17 yards. It's a far cry from his production in 2019 when he set an NFL record with 149 catches, also leading the league with 1,725 receiving yards. He was named the league's Offensive Player of the Year while securing his second straight first-team All-Pro selection.

The 27-year-old had at least 90 catches in each of his first four years in the NFL.

His injuries have left the Saints thin at receiver, especially after Emmanuel Sanders was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list after testing positive for the coronavirus, per Mike Triplett of ESPN. Receiver Bennie Fowler was also placed on injured reserve Friday.

Tre'Quan Smith, who has 16 catches for 194 yards this season, is the only active player with more than 13 career catches. Deonte Harris, Marquez Callaway and Austin Carr will have to fill in bigger roles after seeing limited action earlier in the season.

New Orleans had a slow start as a team but remain a Super Bowl contender after two straight wins got the team to 3-2 going into the Week 6 bye. The team is set to face the Carolina Panthers Sunday and the Chicago Bears in Week 8, potentially short-handed at receiver in both.

There is reportedly a feeling from some around the NFL that the New Orleans Saints could be willing to trade star wide receiver Michael Thomas before the Week 8 deadline.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk reported Saturday that "some in league circles believe" the Saints, Thomas or both could be tempted to move on. Thomas has not played since Week 1 because of a combination of injuries and a suspension for punching a teammate in practice.

Saints coach Sean Payton denied the report in a tweet:

The Saints would take a $20 million dead cap charge in 2021 for trading Thomas during the regular season, which could give them a total of $42.7 million in dead cap if Drew Brees retires as expected.

A roster rebuild/retooling is not out of the question, but it's more likely to begin in the 2021 offseason. The Saints likely still envision themselves as a Super Bowl contender and have overcome inconsistency and Thomas' absence to get off to a 3-2 start. This is not the same juggernaut that ran away with the last three NFC South titles, but New Orleans looks like a strong playoff bet—especially in the seven-team format.

There is no logical reason to move on right now, unless the situation behind the scenes has soured to the point of no return.

A more likely scenario would see the Saints shop Thomas during the offseason, when they could fetch multiple high draft picks and would not ruin a chance for one last Super Bowl with Brees at the helm.

Still just 27 years old, though, Thomas is young enough to be part of the Saints' present and future while remaining one off the game's top targets. It should take a king's ransom to get him out of New Orleans. 

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas will miss his fifth straight game this week due to a hamstring injury.

The team officially ruled Thomas out for Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers. 

This marks the second time the 27-year-old has dealt with an injury this season, after he previously missed three games after suffering a high ankle sprain.

This season, Thomas has registered 17 yards on three receptions in his lone appearance in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

While 2020 has been a frustrating year for the Ohio State product in terms of injuries, there is no question that he is one of the premier wide receivers in the NFL when healthy.

Entering this season, Thomas had finished with at least 1,100 receiving yards in each of his first four NFL campaigns.

The 2016 second-round pick was especially dominant in 2018 and 2019, when he was named a first-team All-Pro in each season. After leading the league with 125 receptions to go along with 1,405 yards and nine touchdowns in 2018, he set a single-season NFL record with 149 receptions last season.

Thomas also led the league with 1,725 receiving yards and finished with nine receiving touchdowns in a season for the third time in his career.

Ever since entering the NFL, he has been quarterback Drew Brees' go-to option in the passing game, and the New Orleans offense is far less potent without him in the lineup.

That much was clear earlier this season when he was out and the veteran signal-caller opted to primarily throw short passes to running back Alvin Kamara rather than taking shots down the field.

If Thomas misses additional time, it stands to reason that Kamara will again become Brees' No. 1 target. Aside from Kamara, wide receiver Tre'Quan Smith should have an increased role as well.

Tight end Jared Cook also figures to become an even bigger part of the offense until Thomas gets back into the lineup.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders reportedly will miss Sunday's Week 7 game against the Carolina Panthers after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Friday.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the news.

Sanders signed with the Saints in April after splitting last season between the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers. He's failed to reach 1,000 yards since 2017 after reaching that mark three consecutive times to open his tenure with the Broncos.

The 33-year-old Texas native was mostly durable during the early stages of his career with the Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers, but injuries have become a concern in recent years. He missed four games in 2017 with ankle injuries and his 2018 season was cut short by a torn Achilles.

He also suffered cartilage damage in his ribs last year after being acquired by the Niners.

Tre'Quan Smith should see the biggest uptick in playing time as part of New Orleans' passing attack. Marquez Callaway, Bennie Fowler and Deonte Harris are among the other potential options for more targets.

The group will be tested further if top target Michael Thomas, who's dealing with ankle and hamstring injuries, is out. Fowler is also dealing with a shoulder injury.

All told, the Saints acquired Sanders as some valuable depth as they tried to finish building a championship-level roster. He's provided some much-needed playmaking ability on the outside, and the team probably won't be able to replicate that in his absence.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas has picked up a hamstring injury in practice, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Pelissero reported the Saints have yet to make a decision on Thomas' status for Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers.

The 27-year-old hasn't played after suffering an ankle injury in Week 1 and sat out against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 5 for disciplinary reasons. This is yet another setback in a season that hasn't gone to plan for arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL.

Thomas was a Pro Bowler in each of the last three years and was particularly impressive in a record-setting 2019 campaign with 149 catches for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns.

The Ohio State product has three catches for 17 yards this year.

His ability to high-point passes makes him a red-zone threat, and he is physical enough to battle safeties and cornerbacks on underneath routes. Few defensive backs in the league can stop him, which makes New Orleans far more dangerous when he is on the field.

The Saints can't expect any of their other pass-catchers to replicate Thomas' impact on a weekly basis, but they do have other options in Emmanuel Sanders, Tre'Quan Smith, Deonte Harris and tight end Jared Cook.

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has left the door open for wide receiver Michael Thomas to return to the lineup Sunday in Week 7 against the Carolina Panthers.

According to Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Advocate, Payton said: "We'll see. I think he's feeling better. We really don't get into injuries or predictions, so you guys will be the first to know."

Thomas suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1 and hasn't played since. The Saints were on their bye last week, but Thomas was in line to potentially play the week before against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The decision was made to hold him out of that game, however, after he got into an altercation with teammate C.J. Gardner-Johnson in practice. Payton said Wednesday that any discipline related to that fight is now over.

Thomas had just three receptions for 17 yards before getting injured in the Saints' Week 1 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he has developed into arguably the top wide receiver in the NFL in recent years.

The 27-year-old Thomas is in the midst of his fifth NFL season and has already been named to the Pro Bowl three times while earning two First-Team All-Pro nods as well.

Thomas has four 1,000-yard receiving seasons to his credit, and he led the NFL in receptions in both 2018 and 2019. Last season, Thomas set a single-season NFL record with 149 catches, and he added 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns as well.

The Saints are off to something of a shaky start this season with a 3-2 record, and some of that can be attributed to Thomas' absence.

With Thomas on the shelf, veteran quarterback Drew Brees has largely opted to throw short, safe passes. As a result, running back Alvin Kamara is the team's leader in all major receiving categories with 38 receptions for 395 yards and three touchdowns.

Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders has stepped into the No. 1 wideout role during Thomas' absence and performed admirably with 26 grabs for 304 yards and two touchdowns, while Tre'Quan Smith has been a fairly significant contributor as well with 16 catches for 194 yards and two touchdowns.

There is no question that Brees has missed Thomas and his sure hands, ability to move the chains and penchant for making big plays down the field when called.

Perhaps Thomas missing some time will turn out to be a blessing in disguise, though, as Sanders and Smith have built a rapport with Brees and may be more reliable options for him moving forward because of it.

Even so, the Saints would undoubtedly love to have Thomas back for Sunday's game against a Panthers team that is off to a surprising 3-3 start and is in the NFC South race along with the Saints and the 4-2 Bucs.