Saints All-Pro WR Michael Thomas set to play against Panthers

New Orleans Saints All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas will play in Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers as long as his ankle is good to go and he remains on his best behavior through the weekend. 

The 27-year-old suffered a high ankle sprain in the Week 1 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was working toward returning to action for the Oct. 12 "Monday Night Football" showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers. However, Thomas was pulled from that contest due to an altercation that reportedly included punching teammate Chauncey Gardner-Johnson.

As Mike Triplett noted for ESPN on Wednesday, though, New Orleans coach Sean Payton told reporters that Thomas' discipline won't go beyond that one game. 

"We'll see. I think he's feeling better. [But] we really don't get into injuries or projections," Payton said. 

Payton also didn't comment on Thomas' reaction to the temporary demotion. 

"Not interested in talking about how he responded," Payton added. "We're getting ready for Carolina this week, we had a good bye week, and here we are."

Thomas earned 2019 Offensive Player of the Year honors when he tallied 149 catches, 1,725 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.