Saints' Alvin Kamara: 'Irks My Soul' When People Are 'Talking S--t' on Michael Thomas

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara stood up for teammate Michael Thomas on Friday amid mounting criticism from fans and observers regarding the wide receiver's injury woes.

According to NOLA.com's Luke Johnson, Kamara backed the embattled wideout, saying: "For people to be talking s--t, it irks my soul to see that."

Thomas was placed on injured reserve this week with a dislocated toe that requires surgery, and Saints head coach Dennis Allen expressed his belief that Thomas will miss the remainder of the season, per ESPN's Katherine Terrell.

Injuries have ravaged the 29-year-old veteran in recent seasons, as he missed nine games in 2020 with an ankle injury and the entire 2021 campaign after undergoing surgery on his ankle.

Thomas played in three games this season before being sidelined by the toe issue, recording 16 receptions for 171 yards and three touchdowns.

New Orleans selected Thomas in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft out of Ohio State, and he quickly established himself as one of the NFL's premier pass-catchers.

Over his first four seasons, Thomas missed only one game, and he finished with at least 90 receptions and 1,100 receiving yards in each of those years.

Thomas earned three Pro Bowl nods and two first-team All-Pro selections during that time, and his best season came in 2019 when he led the NFL with 149 receptions and 1,725 yards while also scoring nine touchdowns. Thomas was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year for his efforts.

Kamara and Thomas have been teammates since 2017, which was the year New Orleans used a third-round pick on Kamara.

Like Thomas, Kamara has been an elite player at his position when healthy, earning five Pro Bowl selections in five seasons entering 2022.

With Kamara, Thomas and quarterback Drew Brees leading the way, the Saints are just a few years removed from having one of the league's most explosive offenses, but that has changed due to Brees' retirement following the 2020 campaign and Thomas' injuries.

Now, the Saints are something of an also-ran in the NFC with a 3-5 record, and digging out of that hole without the best wide receiver on the team will be a massive challenge.