The Facts: After being named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2019, Thomas missed most of the 2020 season and all of the 2021 season, and there’s been talk that he and the team haven’t seen eye-to-eye on everything from his injury rehab to his attitude on the practice field. So any news at all of Thomas showing up for voluntary work would seem to be good news from the Saints. And Thomas is at the Saints’ facility this week as they open voluntary Organized Team Activities, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.
Diehards Line:Whether Thomas will be participating in on-field work remains to be seen. A few weeks ago, Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Thomas still had a few hurdles to clear in his recovery from an ankle injury, and Allen sounded like his top priority was having Thomas healthy enough to play Week One, with less concern about how much he’ll do in the offseason. The Saints badly need an upgrade at wide receiver from last season. They drafted Chris Olave in the first round with the expectation that he’ll make a difference, but if Thomas can play at something close to his 2019 level, that will make an even bigger difference.