We read reports earlier this week indicating that the New Orleans Saints and star receiver Michael Thomas were far apart in extension negotiations.
We had absolutely no idea just how far apart they were before this note from Jeff Duncan of Nola.com. The Saints’ writer noted that New Orleans is offering $18 million annually while Thomas is seeking an absurd $22 million per.
To put this into perspective, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is the league’s highest-paid receiver at $18 million annually after he signed a five-year, $90 million contract with his then-New York Giants team back in 2018.
Coming in at No. 2 on the list, Antonio Brown is earning a cool $16.71 million from the Oakland Raiders.
We’ve seen the market at individual positions reset themselves a ton over the past year. Though, that’s primarily been limited to quarterback.
Thomas, 26, will likely reset the market (at least until Julio Jones signs with the Falcons). The former second-round pick has had a historical start to his career.
He’s posted 321 receptions for 3,787 yards in three years. Last season alone, the Ohio State product caught a resounding 88 percent of his targets while leading the NFL with 125 receptions.
Even then, anything north of $20 million seems to be too lofty of an asking price.