Former All-Pro WR Michael Thomas is at a crossroads with Saints

According to Wednesday's injury report, Thomas missed practice again, putting his status in jeopardy for Week 5's game against the Seattle Seahawks. If he is to miss Sunday's game, it will be his 27th game missed since signing a five-year, $96.25 million contract prior to the 2019 season. He certainly earned that payday, as he averaged 1,262 yards and nearly eight touchdowns on 107 receptions per season through his first three years in the league.

It's difficult to project how a contract will play out in the NFL. The Saints signed quarterback Drew Brees (six years, $60 million) in 2006 in a deal that turned out to be a steal for the organization. When he re-upped after the Super Bowl victory (five years, $100 million), he was given a raise that was as much due to his past performance as it was tied to the idea he would keep performing at an elevated level. 

The same reasoning led to the Saints agreeing to that massive July 2019 contract after three standout seasons from Thomas. During his first three years in the league, Thomas played in 98 percent of the team's games, only missing one game during his rookie season. Under his second contract, Thomas has only been able to suit up for 49 percent of the team's games.

News from around the team have not been positive, with cryptic reports about the severity of his injury cropping up since he hurt his toe against the Panthers. If those reports are true and this turns into another extended absence for Thomas, it's hard to envision a path where he's on the Saints roster in 2023.

Per Pro Football Talk, Thomas's base salary of $15.5 million in 2023 is not guaranteed, and he would be in line to receive a $250,000 roster bonus if he's still with the team on March 22, 2023. For a team that does as much maneuvering as any other to avoid going over the salary cap, devoting that type of money to an injury-prone player is not a wise investment.

According to Over the Cap, if things continue to head south in terms of Thomas's status, the Saints would be best off designating him as a post-June 1 cut after the season, which they would be able to do even if they cut him prior to June 1. 

According to Pro Football Rumors, each team is "allowed to designate up to two players as post-June 1 cuts even if those players are released before June." If the Saints went that route, the dead money attached to the team's salary cap would drop from $25,452,000 to $11,813,000.

While that is a problem for later down the road, the Saints and Thomas are coming up to a fork in the road. What happens during the next couple of months could determine whether Thomas is a Saint for years to come.