Michael Thomas and the New Orleans Saints are trying to hammer out a long-term contract extension, but the two sides are not close to making it happen.
Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com reported Wednesday that “nothing is imminent” on this front, noting “the sides remain far apart but both are motivated to get a deal done, hopefully by the start of training camp.
In his first three seasons as a pro, Thomas has become one of the NFL’s premier pass catchers. He has hauled in 321 passes (an NFL record for a player’s first three seasons) on of 417 targets for 3,787 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Entering the final year of his rookie deal, the former second-round pick is set to make just $1.6 million this season without a new deal.
It’s been reported that New Orleans is comfortable making Thomas the NFL’s highest-paid receiver, which means he’ll be looking at around $18 million per season. Given this latest bit of news on the contract negotiations between Thomas and the Saints, it appears there’s a lot more to iron out.