NFL CAREER – The future appears unlimited for this 2016 second round draft choice as he enters his third NFL season. In 2017, Thomas was selected to the Pro Bowl in his second NFL season in a campaign where he continued to take the NFL by storm as he set a franchise record in receiving with 104 receptions for 1,245 yards and five touchdowns. Thomas continues to develop and excel beyond his impressive numbers, showing an exception ability to make the tough catch. In his first two seasons, he has recorded 196 receptions for 2,382 yards and 14 touchdowns, the most receptions by a player in NFL history in his first two seasons.
NFL CAREER – The future appears unlimited for this 2016 second round draft choice as he enters his third NFL season. In 2017, Thomas was selected to the Pro Bowl in his second NFL season in a campaign where he continued to take the NFL by storm as he set a franchise record in receiving with 104 receptions for 1,245 yards and five touchdowns. Thomas continues to develop and excel beyond his impressive numbers, showing an exception ability to make the tough catch. In his first two seasons, he has recorded 196 receptions for 2,382 yards and 14 touchdowns, the most receptions by a player in NFL history in his first two 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- 2017: PFWA All-NFC; Pro Bowl. 2016: PFWA and NFL.com All-Rookie.
2017- Played in all 16 regular season games with 14 starts and led the 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 the team in receiving with 15 receptions 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 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 played at London’s Wembley Stadium, Oct. 1…Finished the game with three receptions for 11 yards vs. Detroit, Oct. 15…Seven-for-82 receiving at Green Bay, Oct. 22…Finished 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 the 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…Finished with seven receptions for 85 yards and two touchdowns in NFC Divisional Playoff at Minnesota, 1/14/18. 2016- Appeared in 15 games with 12 starts, recording 92 receptions for 1,137 yards (12.4 avg.) with nine touchdowns, leading the team in receptions and touchdowns while setting the Saints single-season rookie record for receptions, receiving yardage and receiving touchdowns, also leading all rookies in all three categories. Ranked ninth in the NFL in receptions and receiving yardage and sixth in receiving touchdowns…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 N.Y. 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
PLAYER YEAR REC.
- Michael Thomas 2017 104
2. Jimmy Graham 2011 99
3. Marques Colston 2007 98
4. Joe Horn 2000 94
Joe Horn 2004 94
6. Michael Thomas 2016 92
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE REGULAR SEASON RECEIVING LEADERS IN 2017
Player Rec. Yds. Avg. TD
1. Jarvis Landry 112 987 8.8 9
2. Larry Fitzgerald 109 1,156 10.6 6
3. Michael Thomas 104 1,245 12.0 5
TOPS AFTER TWO
With 196 receptions in his first two regular seasons since being drafted by the Saints in 2016, Thomas has surpassed Miami’s Jarvis Landry to become the NFL player with the most receptions after his first two seasons.
RECEPTIONS LEADERS THROUGH FIRST TWO NFL SEASONS
Player Years Rec. Yds. TDs
Michael Thomas 2016-17 196 2,382 14
Jarvis Landry 2014-15 194 1,915 9
