Saints: Michael Thomas takes ownership of tough losses and is ready to bounce back

Saints receiver Michael Thomas is owning up to the losses and vowing to be back better than before after a tough year.

It’s safe to say 2020 was a difficult year for just about everyone. For New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas, it was fall-from-30,000-feet kind of year.

Thomas was fresh off his third straight Pro Bowl campaign while leading the NFL in receptions and yards when everything seemed to go wrong for him.

Now, a couple of months into 2021, he’s owning his struggles and looking for a rebound.

Michael Thomas’ production for the Saints plummeted with injury, suspension

Thomas’ woes began almost as soon as the 2020 season started. He injured his ankle in Week 1 against the Buccaneers and wasn’t able to return to action until Week 9. He was supposed to be back in Week 5, but he was suspended after losing his cool with teammate Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. Thomas allegedly punched the defensive back with a reputation for trash-talking during practice.

Then, to add injury to insult, Thomas suffered a hamstring injury during practice. His return was further delayed by a month.

When he did make it back on the field, his production wasn’t at his usual level. He finished the year with 438 yards on 40 catches, marking the lowest yards per game total of his career.

He had zero regular-season touchdowns, making it into the end zone for the first time in the playoffs’ Wild Card Round. He was targeted four times and had no catches as Tampa Bay knocked the Saints out in the Divisional Round.

It turns out, Thomas was playing through some serious injuries. He is expected to have surgery on his ankle and potentially his shoulder, according to Adam Schefter.

While it would be simple enough to blame the injuries, Thomas’ social media suggests he had just as much wrong with his mindset as his body. His altercation with Gardner-Johnson speaks to that.

If he can get in the right headspace while also healing up his body, the league better watch out.