Saints' Michael Thomas Placed on IR with Ankle Injury, out Until Playoffs

The New Orleans Saints placed wide receiver Michael Thomas on injured reserve Saturday with an ankle injury, meaning he will miss the remainder of the regular season.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Saints expect Thomas to be "close to 100 percent" for the playoffs, however.

The ankle ailment has lingered for Thomas since he suffered it in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As a result, he missed six games before returning in Week 9.

Per Schefter, Thomas' ankle was unable to heal properly with him going through practices and games, which led to the decision to place him on IR.

Last season, Thomas led the NFL with 149 receptions and 1,725 receiving yards en route to becoming just the second wide receiver in league history to be named Offensive Player of the Year.

He has been far less productive in seven games this season with 40 catches for 438 yards and no touchdowns.

As a result of being placed on IR, Thomas will fall short of the 90-reception and 1,100-yard mark in a season for the first time in his five-year NFL career.

Thomas landing on IR corresponds with the return of quarterback Drew Brees, who missed the past four games with a collapsed lung and multiple broken ribs. Taysom Hill went 3-1 in Brees' place and primarily focused on Thomas as his No. 1 target, as Thomas had two 100-yard games.

With Thomas out for the remainder of the regular season, Brees will be tasked with working other weapons into the offense.

Running back Alvin Kamara, who leads the Saints in receptions and receiving yardage this season, figures to be Brees' top option. Wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Tre'Quan Smith, plus tight end Jared Cook should all have a significant role as well.

The Saints are currently tied with the Green Bay Packers for the best record in the NFC at 10-3, but Green Bay owns the No. 1 seed thanks to a tiebreaker.

New Orleans still has a chance to nab the No. 1 seed and the conference's only first-round bye in the playoffs, but doing so without Thomas could prove difficult, especially against the 12-1 Kansas City Chiefs this week.

At the same time, getting a healthy Thomas back for the playoffs would provide a huge boost and give the Saints some much-needed momentum during the postseason.