Getty New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas is taking over the NFL.
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas isn’t your typical NFL star. From a football standpoint, he’s quickly become one of the best players in the league, but unlike many other big names, he’s just quiet and goes about his business.
And so far this season, Thomas’ “business” has included him hauling in a ridiculous 38 passes through three games for 398 yards and three touchdowns. Arguably the most impressive fact is that those 38 receptions have come on 40 targets, making him the most reliable high-volume wide receiver in the NFL.
During a recent interview with Bleacher Report’s Tyler Dunne, Thomas spoke about a wide range of topics. One tidbit that stood out was when Dunne joked about the fact that the Saints wideout is on pace for more than 200 receptions. Apparently, Thomas believes that’s not only attainable but that even 245 catches isn’t crazy.
Half-joke with Thomas that he’s on pace for more than 200 receptions this season, and he does not joke back. It’s a realistic mark in his mind, maybe even a starting point. For him to catch “245,” he says, Drew Brees simply has to throw him the ball that many times. Because he’ll catch ’em.
Thomas pulled no punches with his comments, telling Bleacher Report that when all is said and done, he’s going to make history. Not just franchise history, NFL history.
“When I show up to play and the numbers [come] back,” he says, “I’m the guy that [will be] at the top. And we’re talking about NFL history. Not your franchise. We’re talking NFL history. We’re talking about every guy that’s played the position—for any organization—who had a chance to be in my position and write his name in history but didn’t.
“And I feel like I did.
“That’s how the story has to be told.”
Thomas’ success has been well documented this season, and the star wideout made it known he “didn’t have to be a prima donna” to find the success he’s currently having.
Michael Thomas’ Torrid Pace
The Saints talented pass-catcher isn’t just on pace to top the league’s single-season record for receptions, he could shatter it. As The Football Database shows, Marvin Harrison holds the record of 143 catches during the 2002 season. While both Antonio Brown and Julio Jones came close to that number in 2015, totaling 136 catches each, no one has pushed Harrison’s record how Thomas may be able to.
If the 25-year-old kept producing at the pace he’s currently on, he’d finish the year with roughly 202-203 receptions. That seems like a slightly unrealistic pace to keep, but what would he need to break the NFL record?
To simply top Harrison’s 143 receptions, Thomas would need 106 receptions over the next 13 games – slightly more than eight per game. For a player who caught 16 passes in Week 1 and his worst game has been 10 receptions, it’s hard to argue that averaging 8-9 over the next 13 games isn’t possible.
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