Published Jul 31, 2019
Michael Thomas is now a 100-million dollar man
circle avatar
Kevin Noon  •  DottingTheEyes
Publisher
Twitter
@kevin_noon

Former Ohio State wide receiver Michael Thomas will finally report to New Orleans Saints camp as the proud owner of the richest wide receiver contract in NFL history after agreeing to a five-year, 100-million dollar extension on Tuesday.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that 61-million dollars of that contract will be guaranteed for Thomas, who had one year left on his rookie deal that will pay him 1.148-million dollars for the 2019 season before the extension kicks in and keeps Thomas as part of the Saints organization through the 2024 season.

That now will make Thomas the highest-paid receiver in league history and will mark the first time that the Saints have ever paid a skill-position player more than a 10-million dollar annual salary.

It is quite a bump in pay for arguable the league’s most productive receiver with Thomas hauling in 321 passes during his first three years in the NFL, a record. During that three-year career, Thomas has 3,787 yards and 23 touchdowns and had 125 receptions last season during the 2018 campaign.

Advertisement
info icon
Embed content not available

Thomas got off to a slow start during his Ohio State career and actually took a redshirt season in 2013, technically his sophomore year while with the Buckeyes. Thomas answered the call the following season with 54 catches for 799 yards and nine scores during Ohio State’s run to the national championship. Thomas followed that up in 2015 with similar numbers during a 56 catch, 781 yard season with a matching nine touchdowns.

Thomas was drafted No. 47 overall by the Saints in the 2016 draft as part of the second round.

Now Thomas will be able to join his team for training camp after a short holdout.

Thomas was recently named to the NFL’s ‘Top Players of 2019’ list where he checked in at No. 13 of the top-100 players, moving up from No. 81 from a year ago.