Last season, New Orleans Saints star receiver Michael Thomas broke Marvin Harrison’s single-season receptions record, hauling in 149 catches. Looking ahead to 2020, he thinks he can break his own record with a 150-plus-catch campaign.
Saints assistant Curtis Johnson recently said he expects Thomas to do it. When asked about that prediction, Thomas said, “Yeah, I think I can break it again,” per the team’s website.
“It’s just kind of like what I do,” Thomas said. “At my position, I set real high goals and try to accomplish them along with winning football games, and helping out the people around me.
“It’s kind of like, you have goals at the beginning of the season and you kind of just chase them all year. I feel like, in my head, I was going to get it eventually. I don’t really drop too many passes, so when it comes to that I just had to stay consistent and more consistent and take advantage of my opportunities and it just added up faster.”
History suggests Thomas can, in fact, break his own record.
Since being selected in the second round out of Ohio State in 2016, Thomas has developed into one of the most lethal receivers in the NFL.
In fact, he’s upped his game every single year:
- 2016: 92 receptions for 1,137 yards and nine touchdowns
- 2017: 104 receptions for 1,245 yards and five touchdowns
- 2018: 125 receptions for 1,405 yards and nine touchdowns
- 2019: 149 receptions for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns
Seeing that kind of improvement year over year puts Thomas in rare territory.
If anyone can break the 150-catch threshold, he’s the guy to do it. His chemistry with quarterback Drew Brees is exceptional, and Thomas’ 78.1% catch rate over the course of his career is legendary.
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