Saints' Michael Thomas to Undergo Surgery on Toe Injury, Unlikely to Return in 2022

The New Orleans Saints are placing wide receiver Michael Thomas on injured reserve to undergo surgery on his toe.

Head coach Dennis Allen is unsure as to his availability for the remainder of the season.

Thomas has already missed five games because of the toe injury. It was a tough break for the veteran, who had caught 16 passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns through the first three weeks.

The second-round pick of the Saints in the 2016 draft hasn't played a full season since 2019, when he posted a career-high 1,725 receiving yards and nine touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl selection and Offensive Player of the Year award. He also set the single-season NFL record with 149 catches that year.

The 29-year-old was limited to seven games in 2020 because of ankle and hamstring injuries. He caught 40 passes for 438 yards. The ankle injury also resulted in his missing all of the 2021 campaign. He returned healthy for 2022, but the three-time Pro Bowler couldn't escape the injury bug.

The Saints are 3-5, though they're only one game behind the first-place Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South.

Losing Thomas obviously won't help New Orleans get back on track for the postseason, and his long-term outlook with the team isn't looking good given how much time he has missed over the last few years.