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Michael Thomas' ankle injury from last year is still affecting him this year. The Saints star wideout is expected to miss the beginning of the 2021 season after undergoing surgery in June to repair ligaments in his ankle, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported.

With a recommended four months of recovery, Thomas could be on the sideline for several weeks of the regular season, per Rapoport.

Thomas appeared in just seven games in 2020 due to this injury, making 40 receptions for 438 yards -- a year after leading the league with 149 catches and 1,725 yards. He went on injured reserve but returned for the postseason, where he caught five passes for 73 yards with a touchdown in two games.

Per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, the Saints have interest in the free-agent market and should bring in a few receivers for tryouts in the coming days.

In the meantime, ESPN's Mike Triplett notes that athletic tight end Adam Trautman obviously becomes even more important for the Saints along with wideouts Tre'Quan Smith, Marquez Callaway and Deonte Harris. But Triplett already believed the team should add a veteran slot receiver and he thinks it's an absolute must now.

Beyond that, Thomas' injury could affect New Orleans' quarterback competition between Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill, who will now be throwing in camp without the team's most prominent target.

We'll will be adjusting our Staff Rankings (check the Rankings Matrix for the latest) to reflect this development while continuing to follow up as further details come to light.