At 9-8 in 2023, the Saints narrowly missed out on the postseason. New Orleans is looking to build off their 2023 campaign and have a strong 2024 season. This offseason, the team has several moves that need to be made. One of them could be cutting a long-time member of the team. 

Per Jeff Duncan of The Time-Picayune, the Saints are expected to release WR Michael Thomas. Duncan noted that this is expected to happen before free agency begins on Wednesday. That would give the 21-year-old a chance to start fresh next season somewhere else. For now, Thomas is still with the team but his release is reportedly imminent.

Michael Thomas is not expected to play for the Saints in 2024

My column…

Jeff Duncan: The Saints will soon release Michael Thomas. It shouldn’t have ended this way. https://t.co/zP6vqhGn58

— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) March 7, 2024

In the 2016 NFL Draft, the Saints selected WR Michael Thomas in the second round. The rookie quickly made an impact for New Orleans. Racking up 92 catches, over 1,100 yards, and nine touchdowns in 2016. Thomas proved to be a reliable WR for the Saints and continued to shine. During his 2019 campaign, Thomas had 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns along with a league-record 149 receptions in a single season. He was the AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2019. Additionally, Thomas made the Pro Bowl and got first-team All-Pro honors.

After his stellar year in 2019, Thomas’ career was never the same. From 2020-2023, Thomas played in 20 total games. The 31-year-old missed an entire season in 2021 due to an injured ankle. A few years back, Thomas blamed the team for how they handled his ankle injury. Possibly trying to find a justification for why he missed so much time. It’s been a frustrating four seasons for the former All-Pro. He wants to be on the field playing but his body says otherwise.

Saints are expected to release Michael Thomas soon, per @JeffDuncan_ pic.twitter.com/TV4Z8yOAvS

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) March 7, 2024

When the Saints officially cut Thomas, they’ll save $1.2 million against their 2024 salary cap. New Orleans tried to hang on to Thomas as long as they could. However, the team has younger talent that is set to replace him. Chris Olave was easily the team’s WR1 in 2023. Expect to see his role become even larger in 2024 with New Orleans. Last season, Michael Thomas tried to make it work with the Saints. He played in 10 of their 17 games and made seven starts. Who knows what the future holds for the veteran WR