HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Michael William Thomas Jr. (born March 3, 1993) is an American professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
. He played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for
Ohio State The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...
and was selected by the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
in the second round of the
2016 NFL draft The 2016 NFL draft was the 81st annual draft of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft beg ...
. Thomas holds the record for the most receptions by a player in a single season with 149 in 2019. He led the league in receptions in both the 2018 and 2019 seasons, while also leading the league in yardage in the 2019 season. Thomas was also the
NFL Offensive Player of the Year The National Football League Offensive Player of the Year Award is an annual American football award given by various organizations to the National Football League (NFL) player who is considered the top offensive player during the regular season. O ...
that year.


Early life

Thomas attended Taft High School in
Woodland Hills, California Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States. History The area was inhabited for around 8,000 years by Native Americans in the United States, ...
. As a senior, he had 86 receptions for a state-leading 1,656 yards and 21
touchdowns A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
for the Toreadors
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
team. Thomas was ranked by Rivals.com as a four-star recruit. He committed to
Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
to play
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
. Thomas attended
Fork Union Military Academy Fork Union Military Academy (abbreviated as FUMA) is a private school, private, all-male, college preparatory Christian school, Christian Military school, military boarding school located in Fork Union, Virginia. Founded in 1898, Fork Union is co ...
for a year after high school and was roommates with fellow Ohio State teammate
Cardale Jones Cardale Jones (; born September 29, 1992) is an American former professional football quarterback. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he was a CFP national champion, and was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth ...
.


College career

Thomas played in 11 games as a
true freshman The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football; for a list of terms unique to that code, see '' Glossary of Canadian football''. 0–9 ...
in 2012. He had three receptions for 22 yards in the 2012 season. As a sophomore in 2013, Thomas was
redshirted Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...
. Thomas entered his redshirt sophomore season in 2014 as a backup, but eventually took over as a starting wide receiver. He ended the season leading the team in receptions with 54 for 799 yards and nine
touchdowns A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
. In the National Semifinals against
Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
in the
Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed only ...
, he had seven receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown in the victory. During the
2015 College Football Playoff National Championship The 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship was a college football bowl game played on January 12, 2015, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship, which replaced the BCS Nation ...
victory over
Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
, Thomas had four receptions for 53 yards. In the 2015 season, he had 56 receptions for 781 yards and nine touchdowns. On January 5, 2016, Thomas announced his intention to enter the
2016 NFL draft The 2016 NFL draft was the 81st annual draft of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft beg ...
.


College statistics


College awards and honors

* CFP national champion (
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
) * Fiesta Bowl champion (
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
) * Sugar Bowl champion (2014) * Big Ten champion (
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
) * Third-team All-Big Ten (
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
) * Big Ten All-Honorable Mention (2014)


Professional career


2016

Thomas was selected by the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
in the second round with the 47th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He was the sixth wide receiver to be selected that year. On May 9, 2016, the Saints signed Thomas to a four-year, $5.11 million contract with $2.60 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $1.92 million. The Saints named Thomas one of their starting wide receivers, along with
Brandin Cooks Brandin Tawan Cooks (born September 25, 1993) is an American professional football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon State Beavers, earning consensus All-Am ...
, for the season opener against the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
. He finished his first NFL start with six receptions for 58 yards. On September 26, 2016, Thomas caught his first NFL touchdown on a three-yard pass from
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is sec ...
during the second quarter of a ''
Monday Night Football ''Monday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''MNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that air on Monday nights. It originally ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1970 NFL season, 1970 t ...
'' matchup against the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
. Thomas finished the 45–32 loss with seven catches for 71 yards and the aforementioned touchdown. On October 23, 2016, he had his first game with over 100 receiving yards after he finished with a season-high 10 receptions for 130 yards in a 27–21 loss to the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
. During a Week 9 road game against the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
, Thomas caught five passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns as the Saints routed the 49ers by a score of 41–23. Three weeks later, Thomas caught nine passes for 108 yards and tied his season-high of two touchdown receptions in a 49–21 victory over the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
. In the regular season finale against the Falcons, he had 10 receptions for 156 yards and a touchdown during the 38–32 loss. During his rookie season, Thomas set franchise records for a rookie in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.


2017

In his second season, Thomas came into the year as the Saints' number one receiver after Brandin Cooks was traded to the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
. Thomas was named to his first
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...
. He finished the season with 104 receptions for 1,245 yards and five touchdowns. His 104 receptions finished third in the NFL, and his 196 receptions in his first two seasons in the league were the most in NFL history, passing Jarvis Landry's 194 set in 2015. Thomas appeared in his first career playoff game on January 7, 2018, against the division rival
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
in the
Wild Card Round A wild card (also wildcard or wild-card and also known as an at-large berth or at-large bid) is an invitation to a tournament or a playoff berth awarded to a team or individual that does not qualify via an automatic bid. In some events, wildcards ...
. He recorded eight receptions for 131 yards in the 31–26 victory. In the Divisional Round against the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
, he had seven receptions for 85 yards and two touchdowns in the 29–24 road loss. Thomas was ranked 81st by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2018 The NFL Top 100 Players of 2018 was the eighth season in the series. It ended with reigning NFL MVP Tom Brady being ranked #1, making him the only player to be voted #1 three times, already being the only player to be voted first more than once. ...
.


2018

In the season-opener against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
, Thomas caught a franchise-record 16 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown, breaking the century mark for the fourth time in his career and eclipsing 200 career receptions. The 16 receptions were the most by any player for the 2018 season for a single game. The next week, he scored twice more with 89 yards on 12 catches in a 21–18 win over the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
. With his 12 receptions, Thomas set an NFL record for the most catches in the first two games with 28, the record previously held by
Andre Rison Andre Previn Rison (born March 18, 1967) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Gree ...
with 26 set in 1994. In Week 3, he added 10 receptions for 129 yards against the Falcons. His 38 receptions through the first three games were the most in NFL history. Prior to a Week 9 matchup against the Rams, Thomas engaged in an online feud with ex-Saints receiver
Brandin Cooks Brandin Tawan Cooks (born September 25, 1993) is an American professional football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon State Beavers, earning consensus All-Am ...
following his departure. The Rams entered the matchup with an undefeated 8–0 record. During the game; Thomas had 12 catches for a franchise-record 211 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown. Upon scoring, Thomas paid tribute to former Saints wide receiver
Joe Horn Joseph Horn (born January 16, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL draft, and also ...
by recreating his famous cell phone touchdown celebration in an effort to simultaneously taunt the Rams, which drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and he was later fined $30,000 by the league office. Horn said he "teared up" at the gesture and bought Thomas' jersey, despite this; numerous players on the Rams sideline were enraged by the gesture; notably Rams' then-cornerback
Marcus Peters Marcus Peters (born January 9, 1993) is an American professional football cornerback. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft and has also been a member of the Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, and ...
. This Week 9 performance earned Thomas
National Football Conference The National Football Conference (NFC) is a conference of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States. The NFC and its counterpart, the American Football Conference (AFC), each h ...
(NFC) Offensive Player of the Week. In Week 13 against the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
, Thomas recorded his 90th catch of the season, joining
Odell Beckham Jr. Odell Cornelious Beckham Jr. (born November 5, 1992), commonly known by his initials OBJ, is an American professional American football, football wide receiver. He played college football for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tigers and was selected ...
as the only players in NFL history to record at least 90 receptions in their first three seasons. Thomas finished the season with 125 receptions for 1,405 yards and nine touchdowns. He led the league in receptions and finished sixth in the league in receiving yards. He also set the Saints franchise record in receiving yards, passing Joe Horn's 1,399 yards set in 2004. He was named to his second straight Pro Bowl and was named first-team All-Pro. He was ranked 13th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2019 The NFL Top 100 Players of 2019 was the ninth season in the series. It premiered on July 22, 2019 and the final episode aired on July 31, 2019. It started later in the year, and the show was shown in 10 consecutive days instead. Los Angeles Rams d ...
. Thomas and the Saints later rematched against the Rams in the controversial
2018 NFC Championship Game The 2018 National Football Conference (NFC) Championship Game was a National Football League (NFL) game played on January 20, 2019, to determine the NFC Championship Game, NFC champion for the 2018 NFL season. The visiting 2018 Los Angeles Rams ...
. Thomas had four receptions for 36 yards as the Saints' comeback was cut short by a controversial hit during the fourth quarter. During a critical play in overtime, the score was tied 23–23 as Brees attempted to target Thomas for a crucial pass to keep their drive alive. Brees was charged by Rams' defensive end
Dante Fowler Dante Antwane Fowler Jr. (born August 3, 1994) is an American professional American football, football defensive end and linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators f ...
as he threw the ball to Thomas, who was promptly beaten to the catch by Rams' safety John Johnson who mockingly celebrated Thomas' "horse-saddle" as a retaliatory action for his gesture earlier in the season. The Rams managed to kick a field goal, winning the game. Thomas later attacked the Rams and the no-call during his postgame interview telling reporters; ''"As Far as next year? we're going back, and we're coming back with revenge for sure. I saw exactly what you saw, that was pass interference"''.


2019

On July 31, 2019, Thomas signed a five-year, $100 million contract extension with $61 million guaranteed with the Saints. This made Thomas the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL at the time. During the season-opener against the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
on ''Monday Night Football'', Thomas caught 10 passes for 123 yards in the narrow 30–28 victory. The Rams and Saints would meet again in Los Angeles during the Week 2 matchup which saw Thomas perform better in comparison to the prior matchup, as he had 10 receptions for 89 yards as the Rams blew out the Saints 27–9. Thomas rebounded strongly the following week against the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
, as he caught five passes for 54 yards and scored his first touchdown of the season in the 33–27 road victory. During Week 5 against the Buccaneers, Thomas recorded 11 receptions for 182 yards and two touchdowns as the Saints won 31–24. Two weeks later against the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
, Thomas caught nine passes for 131 yards in the 36–25 road victory. In the next game against the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
, he had 11 receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown in the 31–9 victory. During Week 10 against the Falcons, Thomas finished with a season-high 13 receptions for 152 yards as the Saints lost 26–9. In the next game against the Buccaneers, he caught eight passes for 114 yards and a touchdown during the 34–17 victory. Thomas was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for his play in November. During Week 14 against the 49ers, Thomas caught 11 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown in the narrow 48–46 loss. During the game, Thomas set a new Saints' record for receiving yards in a single season. In the next game against the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
on ''Monday Night Football'', Thomas caught 12 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown during the 34–7 victory. The following week against the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
, he broke the single-season receptions record formerly held by
Marvin Harrison Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played his entire 13 year career for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for ...
with his 144th catch of the season, followed by a one-yard touchdown catch for his 145th, while the Saints won on the road by a score of 38–28. Thomas finished the season with an NFL record 149 receptions for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns. In the NFC
Wild Card Round A wild card (also wildcard or wild-card and also known as an at-large berth or at-large bid) is an invitation to a tournament or a playoff berth awarded to a team or individual that does not qualify via an automatic bid. In some events, wildcards ...
against the Vikings, Thomas recorded seven receptions for 70 yards during the 26–20 overtime loss. He was named to the Pro Bowl and earned First Team All-Pro honors. On February 1, 2020, Thomas was awarded AP Offensive Player of the Year for his performance during the 2019 season, becoming the first wide receiver to win the award since
Jerry Rice Jerry Lee Rice (born October 13, 1962) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played for 20 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He won three Super Bowl titles with the San Francisco 49ers before two shorter ...
in 1993. Thomas was ranked fifth by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2020 The NFL Top 100 Players of 2020 is the tenth season in the NFL Top 100 series. It premiered on July 26, 2020 and the final episode aired on July 29, 2020. It started later than in previous years, and the show was shown in 4 consecutive days inste ...
.


2020

In Week 1 against the Buccaneers, Thomas recorded three catches for 17 yards before exiting the game due to a high ankle sprain. He was set to return to action in Week 5 against the
Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...
on ''Monday Night Football'', but on October 11, Thomas was declared inactive for the game by the Saints after punching teammate C. J. Gardner-Johnson in practice. Thomas was also fined $58,823 by the team for the incident. Thomas made his return from injury in Week 9 against the Buccaneers on '' Sunday Night Football''. During the game, Thomas led the team with five catches for 51 yards during the 38–3 victory. Two weeks later against the Falcons, he recorded nine catches for 104 yards during the 24–9 victory. This was Thomas' first 100-yard receiving game of the season. He was placed on
injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...
on December 19 due to the lingering ankle injury. Thomas was activated on January 9, 2021. In the
Wild Card Round A wild card (also wildcard or wild-card and also known as an at-large berth or at-large bid) is an invitation to a tournament or a playoff berth awarded to a team or individual that does not qualify via an automatic bid. In some events, wildcards ...
against the Bears, Thomas recorded five receptions for 73 yards and his first touchdown of the season during the 21–9 victory. He was ranked 72nd by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2021 The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
.


2021

On July 23, 2021, it was revealed that Thomas had undergone ankle surgery in the past month. He was placed on the PUP list three days later. On November 3, it was announced Thomas would not return during the 2021 season due to a setback with his ankle injury.


2022

Thomas returned from his injury in Week 1 against the Falcons, where he caught five passes for 57 yards, and two touchdowns in the 27–26 comeback victory. Thomas recorded another productive game in Week 2 with six out of nine receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown in a 20–10 loss to the Buccaneers. During a Week 3 matchup against the Panthers, Thomas exited the game early with a foot injury and went on to miss multiple weeks before being placed on injured reserve on November 3, 2022, prematurely ending his season.


2023

On January 7, 2023, Thomas and the Saints agreed to restructure his contract which saw his base salary in 2023 drop from $15.5 million to $1.165 million. During Week 11 against the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
, Thomas suffered an unknown knee injury after taking a hard hit on the first offensive play and was sidelined for the rest of the game. The Saints put him on injured reserve on November 21. In the 2023 season, Thomas appeared in 10 games (seven starts), finishing with 39 receptions for 448 yards and a touchdown, which came in Week 7 against the Jaguars. On March 13, 2024, Thomas was released by the Saints.


2024

As a free agent, Thomas was suspended one game by the NFL for violating the personal conduct policy, relating to a legal incident he had in November 2023.


NFL career statistics


Regular season


Postseason


NFL records

* Most receptions by a player through his first five seasons: 510 * Most receptions by a player in a single season: 149 * Most receptions by a player in a single season including playoffs: 156 * Most consecutive games with 4+ receptions: 43 * Most seasons, 120+ pass receptions: 2 (2018–2019) (tied with 2 others) * Most seasons, 125+ pass receptions: 2 (2018–2019) (tied with 1 other) * Fewest games to record 300 career receptions: 45 (2016–2018) (tied with one other) * Fewest games to record 400 career receptions: 56 (2016–2019) * Fewest games to record 500 career receptions: 69 (2016–2020)


Saints franchise records

* Most receptions in a game: 16 (September 9, 2018, vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers) * Most receiving yards in a game: 211 (November 4, 2018, vs Los Angeles Rams) * Most receptions in a season by a rookie: 92 (2016) * Most receiving yards in a season by a rookie: 1,137 (2016) * Most receiving touchdowns in a season by a rookie: 9 (2016) * Most receptions in a season: 149 (2019) * Most receiving yards in a season: 1,725 (2019)


Personal life

Thomas is the nephew of former NFL wide receiver
Keyshawn Johnson Joseph Keyshawn Johnson (born July 22, 1972) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football for the USC Trojans, and earned All-American ho ...
. Thomas is a
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
.


Legal troubles

On November 10, 2023, Thomas was arrested on misdemeanor charges of simple battery and criminal mischief. It was revealed that Thomas was involved in an altercation with a man doing construction work and allegedly threw a brick at the windshield of a truck, leading to his arrest. He was released from jail that same night.


References


External links

*
Ohio State Buckeyes bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Michael 1993 births Living people American football wide receivers Fork Union Military Academy alumni National Conference Pro Bowl players New Orleans Saints players Ohio State Buckeyes football players Players of American football from Los Angeles William Howard Taft Charter High School alumni NFL Offensive Player of the Year winners