Michael Thomas injury history: Saints WR's status for 2023 season explored

Michael Thomas was a healthy sight for the New Orleans Saints during the start of their preseason campaign. The wide receiver, who was once considered one of the best in the league, faltered to injuries over the past three seasons and many people didn't seem to think that he would be able to return.

Creating a connection with Derek Carr will be vital for the Saints' hopes during this season, and luckily for them, Thomas seemed to be at a good level while the starters were playing. He was moving well, and the injury didn't seem to bother him anymore.

Could the New Orleans Saints fans feel confident that this will be the season that changes anything for Thomas? His injury history is a long one, but the early expectations are positive.

Is Michael Thomas healthy for the 2023 season?

Those who are expecting to see the best version of Michael Thomas can rejoice, at least for the moment. The Saints superstar is healthy and ready to go in 2023, after playing just 10 games over the past three years with a nagging foot injury that affected three full seasons.

He wasn't able to help Drew Brees win another Super Bowl as much as he wanted in 2020, failed to play in the 2021 season altogether and was also able to play in just three games in 2022. Certainly, a return far from the ideal for a player of his caliber, who had signed a monstrous contract extension in 2019 but never lived up to the hype.

The specialized website Draft Sharks points out that there's a 64% chance of Thomas getting injured in 2023, which qualifies as a high risk. If he plays something closer to 14-15 games, this would already be a massive return to the Saints, especially with Chris Olave picking up most of the slack in Derek Carr's first season in New Orleans.

What seemed to be a simple ankle issue became a three-year problem for Thomas, but for 2023, it looks like we might see Michael Thomas at his best again. He was the Offensive Player of the Year in 2019, so everyone already knows how good he can be.