The Saints Aren't Going to Trade Michael Thomas

Things currently appear rocky between Michael Thomas and the New Orleans Saints, as the star receiver dropped a pointed tweet on Monday morning. After a tumultuous offseason the two sides are struggling to see eye-to-eye, but that doesn't mean the Saints will trade the three-time Pro Bowler. In fact, there's virtually no chance of that happening.

Thomas' tweet on Monday followed comments from Saints head coach Sean Payton essentially questioning Thomas' decision to delay ankle surgery until June, when it was expected in January. As a result, Thomas is going to miss training camp and likely a few regular season games.

It's clear the 28-year-old wideout didn't appreciate his coach speaking about the issue.

While some have speculated that a trade may be forthcoming, there's zero chance of that happening. As ESPN's Bill Barnwell correctly pointed out, the price of a trade would be far too high for New Orleans.

Having to absorb $32.6 million over two years for a player not on the roster is simply not tenable. Taking on that kind of cap hit makes it nearly impossible to move Thomas. The return would need to be massive for it to make sense for the Saints. We're talking multiple first-round picks and more.

Few teams would be willing to expend that kind of capital on a receiver coming off a major injury who had 40 catches for 438 yards and no touchdowns in 2020. Even if we all know he's one of the best receivers in the NFL, no team is taking the chance that he might be done, or that his injury will linger.

In the end, even if Thomas wants to be traded, it's highly unlikely a deal happens. He'll have to find a way to live with the Saints and vice-versa.