NFL CAREER – The future is unlimited for this 2016 second round draft choice as he enters his fourth NFL season. In 2018, Thomas was selected to the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive season and selected an Associated Press first-team All-Pro in a campaign where he continued to take the NFL by storm as he led the NFL in receiving with a franchise-record 125 receptions for a team-record 1,405 yards and nine touchdowns, the fifth-highest catch total in NFL record books. Thomas continues to develop and excel beyond his impressive numbers, showing an exception ability to make the tough catch. In his first three campaigns, he has recorded 321 receptions for 3,787 yards and 23 touchdowns, the most receptions by a player in NFL history in his first three seasons.
CAREER TRANSACTIONS –Signed to a four-year contract, 5/9/16; Selected by the Saints in the second round (47th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.
HONORS- 2018: Pro Bowl (starter); first-team Associated Press and Pro Football Focus All-Pro; PFWA All-NFL and All-NFC; The Sporting News, and Bleacher Report All-Pro; NFC Offensive Player of the Week (Week 9). 2017: PFWA All-NFC; Pro Bowl. 2016: PFWA and NFL.com All-Rookie.
2018- Started all 16 regular season games…Recorded 125 receptions for 1,405 yards (11.2 avg.) and nine touchdowns, setting single-season team records in receptions and receiving yardage…NFL-best receiving total is fifth-highest in NFL single-season history…Ranked sixth in the NFL in receiving yardage and tied for second in third down receptions (30)…Became fastest player in team history to reach 3,500 career receiving yards (43 games)…Started both playoff contests and posted 16 receptions for 207 yards and one touchdown…Hauled in 16 receptions for a career-high 180 yards and a TD, setting a new franchise record for catches in a single game. Thomas also set the single game NFL record for most catches during week one…Recorded a team-high 12 receptions for 89 yards and two touchdowns, vs. Cleveland, Sept. 16. Thomas also set an NFL record with 28 receptions in the first two games of a season, surpassing former Atlanta Falcons wideout Andre Rison (26-1994)…At Atlanta, Sept. 23, finished with ten catches for 129 yards. Thomas also set an NFL record with 38 receptions in the first three games of the season, surpassing Atlanta wideout Julio Jones (34-2015)…At New York Giants, Sept. 30, finished with four catches for 47 yards, setting an NFL record with 42 receptions in the first four games of the season, surpassing Wes Welker (40-2011)…Hauled in four receptions for 74 yards in the 43-19 win over Washington, Oct. 8…Caught seven passes for 69 yards and a touchdown in the 24-23 victory at Baltimore, Oct. 21…Caught five passes for 81 yards in the 30-20 victory at Minnesota, Oct. 28…Recorded 12 receptions for a franchise-record 211 yards, including a fourth quarter career-long 72-yard touchdown grab in the 45-35 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, Nov. 4…Recorded eight receptions for 70 yards and two touchdowns in the 51-14 victory at Cincinnati, Nov. 11…Recorded four receptions for 92 yards and one touchdown as he became the only Saint with three 1,000-yard seasons to start his career in 48-7 victory vs. Philadelphia, Nov. 18…Finished with five catches for 40 yards and a recovery of ball fumbled by Dan Arnold at Dallas, Nov. 29. Joined Odell Beckham Jr. (2014-16) and Randy Moss (1998-2000) as the only players in league history to record at least 1,100 receiving yards in each of their first three seasons. Joined Beckham as only the second player in league history to record at least 90 catches in each of their first three seasons…Recorded 11 catches for 98 yards as the Saints clinched the NFC South for the second straight season at Tampa Bay in a 28-14 win, Dec. 9…Recorded seven receptions for 49 yards in the 12-9 victory at Carolina, Dec. 17…Caught 11 passes for 109 yards and one touchdown vs. Pittsburgh, Dec. 23, as he became the first Saint with six double-digit catch games…Led the team with 12 receptions for a postseason franchise record 171 yards and one touchdown in NFC Divisional Playoff vs. Philadelphia, 1/13/19. 2017- Played in all 16 regular season games with 14 starts and led team with a club-record 104 receptions for 1,245 yards, finishing ranked third in the NFL in receiving behind Miami’s Jarvis Landry (112) and Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald (109), as he was selected to his first Pro Bowl. Started both postseason contests and led team in receiving with 15 grabs for 216 yards (14.4 avg.) and two touchdowns…Gained team-high 89 yards on team-best five catches, Sept. 17 vs. New England…Caught team-high seven receptions for a team-best 87 yards and a first quarter five-yard TD at Carolina, Sept. 24…Caught eight-for-89 and a third quarter three-yard TD against Miami in game at London’s Wembley Stadium, Oct. 1…Seven-for-82 receiving at Green Bay, Oct. 22…Seven-for-77 receiving vs. Chicago, Oct. 29…Finished eight-for-65 receiving vs. Tampa Bay, Nov. 5…Nine-for-117 receiving at Buffalo, Nov. 12, leading team in all receiving categories…Six receptions for 91 yards in come-from-behind win, Nov. 19, vs. Washington…Totaled 52 yards on five catches at Los Angeles Rams, Nov. 26…Five receptions for 70 yards and a second quarter ten-yard touchdown vs. Carolina, Dec. 3…Ten receptions for 117 yards and one touchdown at Atlanta, Dec. 7…Nine receptions for 93 yards on Dec. 17 at New York Jets, including a fourth quarter, four-yard touchdown…Had four receptions for 66 yards (16.5 avg.) vs. Atlanta, Dec. 24…Six-for-94 receiving in regular season finale at Tampa Bay, Dec. 31…Led team in receptions (eight) and receiving yards (131) in NFC Wild Card Playoff vs. Carolina, 1/7/18, becoming the first player in NFL history to record 200 receptions in his first two seasons (regular season and postseason)…Finished with seven receptions for 85 yards and two touchdowns in NFC Divisional Playoff game at Minnesota, 1/14/18. 2016- Played in 15 games with 12 starts, recording 92 receptions for 1,137 yards (12.4 avg.) with nine touchdowns, leading team in receptions and TDs, setting the Saints single-season rookie record for receptions, receiving yardage and receiving TDs, leading rookies in all three categories. Ranked ninth in the NFL in receptions and receiving yardage and sixth in receiving TDs…Vs. Oakland, Sept. 11, in NFL debut caught six passes for 58 yards and recovered a fumble that he returned ten yards…Had his first career start and caught four passes for 56 yards at New York Giants, Sept. 18...Vs. Atlanta, Sept. 26, started and recorded seven receptions for 71 yards, including a second quarter three-yard TD…Started and recorded four receptions for 44 yards, including a fourth quarter five-yard TD at San Diego, Oct. 2…Vs. Carolina, Oct. 16, started and recorded five receptions for a 78 yards, including a nine-yard TD…Started and caught a career-high 10 passes for 130 yards (13.0 avg.), also had a fumble recovery at Kansas City, Oct. 23. Became the third Saints rookie WR to post a 10-catch, 130-yard receiving game, joining Marques Colston (Nov. 12, 2006 at Pittsburgh) and Danny Abramowicz (Oct. 29, 1967 vs. Pittsburgh) …Vs. Seattle, Oct. 30, caught six passes for a team-high 63 yards…At San Francisco, Nov. 6, started and caught five passes for a team-high 73 yards with a career-high two TDs, including a 32-yard TD grab…Started and recorded four receptions for 40 yards and lost two fumbles vs. Denver, Nov. 13…Caught nine passes for 108 yards and two TDs, all team-highs, vs. Los Angeles, Nov. 27…Declared inactive (foot) at Tampa Bay, Dec. 11…At Arizona, Dec. 18, started and recorded seven receptions for 52 yards, including a fourth quarter four-yard TD. Tied club rookie single-season record for TD receptions (8, Colston-2006 and WR Donte’ Stallworth-2002)…Started and recorded six receptions for 98 yards, including a career-long 46-yard grab vs. Tampa Bay, Dec. 24…In finale at Atlanta, 1/1/17, started and tied a career-high with 10 receptions for a career-high 156 yards with one touchdown…Set team single-season rookie record for receptions, receiving yardage and receiving touchdowns, also leading all NFL rookies in all three categories with the receptions total second all-time for a rookie behind Anquan Boldin’s 101 in 2003 (Arizona Cardinals).
COLLEGE: Played in 39 games with 27 starts, recording 113 catches for 1,602 yards (14.2 avg.) with 18 touchdowns…Caught at least one pass in each of his last 29 games to close out his college career and had at least four receptions in 10 contests…Third-team All-Big Ten as a redshirt junior when he started all 13 games and led Buckeyes with 56 catches for 781 yards and nine TDs, tied for second in Big Ten...Leading receiver for the 2014 College Football Playoff Champions with 54 catches in 15 games with 14 starts...Second on squad with 799 receiving yards and with nine TDs...Redshirted in 2013…Played in 11 games as true freshman for the undefeated Buckeyes in 2012 and finished with three receptions for 22 yards…Graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sports industry.
PERSONAL: Thomas produced a highlight reel of a 2010 senior campaign at Taft Charter (Woodland Hills, Calif.) HS when he caught 86 passes, 21 of which went for touchdowns…Played at Oaks Christian School (Westlake Village, Calif.) as a freshman...Attended Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy in the Fall of 2011 (and roomed with future Ohio State teammate Cardale Jones)…Nephew to former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson…Participated in a Christmas shopping spree for local children sponsored by teammates Mark Ingram and Thomas Morstead and their foundations in 2017...Participated in the Touchdown Club of New Orleans’ annual crawfish boil in 2016…Partnered with the Salvation Army to host a holiday dinner for underprivileged youth in 2017.
MOST SINGLE-SEASON RECEPTIONS IN SAINTS HISTORY
1.Michael Thomas 2018 125
2.Michael Thomas 2017 104
2018 NFL RECEIVING LEADERS
1. Michael Thomas 125 1,405 11.2 9
2. Zach Ertz 116 1,163 10.0 8
3. DeAndre Hopkins 115 1,572 13.7 11
TOP FIVE ALL-TIME NFL SINGLE-SEASON RECEIVING TOTALS
1. Marvin Harrison, 2002 143 1,722 12.0 11
2t. Antonio Brown, 2015 136 1,834 13.5 10
2t. Julio Jones, 2015 136 1,871 13.8 8
4. Antonio Brown, 2014 129 1,698 13.2 13
5. Michael Thomas, 2018 125 1,405 11.2 9
With 321 receptions from 2016-18, Thomas surpassed Odell Beckham Jr. to become the NFL player with the most receptions after his first three seasons. His 321 receptions are easily the most through his first three seasons as he’s the only player through his first three campaigns to have 300 receptions and 3,000 receiving yards.
RECEPTIONS THROUGH FIRST THREE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE SEASONS
Player Years Rec. Yds. TDs
Michael Thomas 2016-18 321 3,787 23
Odell Beckham Jr. 2014-16 288 4,122 35
