NFL star Michael Thomas rips journalist over release report, accuses Saints of trying to ruin players' value

Michael Thomas has experienced his fair share of highs and lows throughout his eight-year NFL career. He received offensive player of the year honors following his standout 2019 season, but he has also faced multiple injury setbacks. 

A foot injury forced him to finish the 2022 season on injured reserve, while another injury limited him to 10 games this past season. In January 2023, the Saints restructured the five-year, $96.3 million contract that the star wideout signed in 2019. The restructured deal allowed the Saints to have some short-term salary cap flexibility.

Thomas then agreed to a new one-year extension last March. The incentive-laden deal was worth up to $15 million, with $6.3 million guaranteed at signing per data from Over the Cap.

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Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints warms up before a game against the Chicago Bears at Caesars Superdome on November 5, 2023, in New Orleans. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

On Thursday, The Times-Picayune columnist Jeff Duncan reported that the Saints plan to release the veteran wide receiver next week, coinciding with the start of the NFL's new league year. Releasing Thomas this offseason will likely save New Orleans just over $1 million against the team's 2024 cap.

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Thomas took issue with the report and took to social media to dispute how his pending release was characterized. Thomas took aim at Duncan in a series of inflammatory posts on X, the company formerly known as Twitter, and suggested his upcoming separation was simply the result of his expiring contract.

"How they planning on releasing me if I was on a 1 year deal," Thomas wrote in one of the posts.

Thomas also accused Duncan of attempting to "ruin players value."

"The Saints leak information to him to try to ruin players value but see I’m not broke so I can speak on it," Thomas said.

The Saints had no comment when asked by Fox News Digital about Thomas' post.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas leaves the field after their win against the Carolina Panthers in an NFL football game, Sept. 18, 2023, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

The Saints selected Thomas in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie campaign with 1,137 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

Thomas became one of the most reliable possession receivers in the league, and he ended each of his first four seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards. Thomas' last four years have been particularly injury-riddled, with the wideout appearing in 20 games over the past four seasons.

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Elsewhere, on the Saints roster, offensive lineman Ryan Ramczyk inked a five-year, $96 million deal with the team in 2021. His $19.2 million average salary per year ranked eighth among all offensive linemen in the NFL last season. After uneven quarterback play from Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton during the 2022 season, the Saints opted to sign Derek Carr to a massive four-year contract last March. 

At the time of the signing, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Carr's contract was worth $150 million with $100 million in total guarantees. Carr started all 17 games in 2023, finishing the season with 25 touchdowns against eight interceptions.

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