Michael Thomas
Wide Receiver

Age: 28
Free Agency: 2025 (UFA)
Accrued Seasons: 5
- Height: 6-3
- Weight: 212
- College: Ohio State
- Entry: 2016 Draft, Round 2, #47 overall (Saints)
- 2021 Salary Cap Charge: $10,100,000 (5.47% of cap)
- 2021 Cash Payout: $12,800,000 (7.26% of spending)
- 2021 Cash to Cap Ratio: 1.27
- Contract Value: $96,250,000 ($19,250,000 APY)
- Fully Guaranteed Money: $35,648,043
- Contract Ranking: 5/293 at WR
Current Contract
(Extension, signed 2019)
(📝: indicates contract trigger occuring during that year)Year | Age | Base Salary | Prorated Bonus | Roster Bonus | Per Game Roster Bonus | Workout Bonus | Guaranteed Salary | Cap Number | Cap % | Dead Money & Cap Savings | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | 26 | $1,648,043 | $4,480,722 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,648,043 | $6,128,765 | 3.2% | |||||
2020 | 27 | $1,000,000 | $6,000,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $11,000,000 | $7,000,000 | 3.5% | |||||
2021
March 20: Balance of salary fully guaranteed
| 28 | $1,000,000 | $8,900,000 | $0 | $0 | $200,000 | $1,000,000 | $10,100,000 | 5.5% | |||||
2022
March 22: Roster bonus due
| 29 | $15,350,000 | $8,900,000 | $250,000 | $0 | $200,000 | $0 | $24,700,000 | 12.2% | |||||
2023
March 22: Roster bonus due
| 30 | $15,500,000 | $8,900,000 | $250,000 | $500,000 | $200,000 | $0 | $25,350,000 | 11.3% | |||||
2024
March 22: Roster bonus due
| 31 | $18,500,000 | $4,900,000 | $250,000 | $750,000 | $200,000 | $0 | $24,600,000 | 9.6% | |||||
Total | $52,998,043 | $42,080,722 | $750,000 | $1,250,000 | $800,000 | $13,648,043 | $97,878,765 |
Contract Notes
Michael Thomas signed a five year, $96.25 million extension with the Saints on July 31, 2019. The details of the contract come from PFT, so please credit them if using any details of the contract. Per PFT, Thomas received a $20 million signing bonus and $35.64 million fully guaranteed at signing. Thomas' 2019 and 2020 salaries are fully guaranteed as is $3 million of his 2021 salary. If on the roster on the 3rd day of the 2021 league year his salary will become guaranteed. On the 3rd day of the 2022 league year his salary will be guaranteed. There are fifth day of the league year roster bonuses in each of the last three years as well as per game roster bonuses in the final two contract years. The max value of the contract is $100 million if certain escalators are earned. Thomas' cap charge increased by $4.5 million in 2019 due to the extension.
Thomas converted $11.6 million of his 2021 salary into a signing bonus to create $8.7 million in cap space for the Saints. His cap number will increase by $2.9 million in each of the final three years of his contract.
Cash Flows
2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cash Due | $20,500,000 | $11,000,000 | $12,800,000 | $15,800,000 | $16,450,000 | $19,700,000 |
Running Cash | $20,500,000 | $31,500,000 | $44,300,000 | $60,100,000 | $76,550,000 | $96,250,000 |
Career Earnings: $48,218,974
Career APY: $9,643,795
Contract History
Team | Contract Type | Status | Year Signed | Yrs | Total | APY | Guarantees | Amount Earned | % Earned | Effective APY |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saints | Drafted | Renegotiated | 2016 | 4 | $5,118,974 | $1,279,744 | $3,055,569 | $3,970,931 | 77.6% | $1,323,644 |
Saints | Extension | Active | 2019 | 5 | $96,250,000 | $19,250,000 | $35,648,043 | $44,248,043 | 46.0% | $22,124,022 |
Earnings By Team
Team | Yrs | Salary | APY | Paid on Cap | % Paid on Cap | Paid as Dead Money | % Paid as Dead Money |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saints | 5 | $48,218,974 | $9,643,795 | $16,618,974 | 0.0% | $0 | 0.0% |
Season History
Year | Team | Base Salary | Prorated Bonus | Roster Bonus | Per Game Roster Bonus | Workout Bonus | Guaranteed Salary | Cap Number | Cap % | Cash Paid | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Saints | $450,000 | $480,722 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $450,000 | $930,722 | 0.6% | $2,372,888 | ||
2017 | Saints | $682,681 | $480,722 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $682,681 | $1,163,403 | 0.7% | $682,681 | ||
2018 | Saints | $915,362 | $480,722 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,396,084 | 0.8% | $915,362 | ||
2019 | Saints | $1,648,043 | $4,480,722 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,648,043 | $6,128,765 | 3.2% | $21,648,043 | ||
2020 | Saints | $1,000,000 | $6,000,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $11,000,000 | $7,000,000 | 3.5% | $11,000,000 | ||
2021 | Saints | $1,000,000 | $8,900,000 | $0 | $0 | $200,000 | $1,000,000 | $10,100,000 | 5.5% | $12,800,000 | ||
2022 | Saints | $15,350,000 | $8,900,000 | $250,000 | $0 | $200,000 | $0 | $24,700,000 | 12.2% | $15,800,000 | ||
2023 | Saints | $15,500,000 | $8,900,000 | $250,000 | $500,000 | $200,000 | $0 | $25,350,000 | 11.3% | $16,450,000 | ||
2024 | Saints | $18,500,000 | $4,900,000 | $250,000 | $750,000 | $200,000 | $0 | $24,600,000 | 9.6% | $19,700,000 | ||
Total | $55,046,086 | $43,522,888 | $750,000 | $1,250,000 | $800,000 | $14,780,724 | $101,368,974 | $101,368,974 |
Statistics
Year | Games Played | Games Missed | Snaps | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Injured | Healthy | Offense | Special | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Total | Lost | ||
2016 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 75.3% | 1.0% | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 92 | 1137 | 12.4 | 9 | 2 | 2 |
2017 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 75.3% | 1.2% | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 98 | 1151 | 11.7 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
2018 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 82.1% | 1.2% | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 125 | 1405 | 11.2 | 9 | 2 | 2 |
2019 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 88.6% | 1.4% | 1 | -9 | -9.0 | 0 | 149 | 1725 | 11.6 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
2020 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 32.1% | 0.0% | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 40 | 438 | 11.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Valuation Diamond
The diamond is a scatterplot graph that visualizes the relation of the player's APY (in green) and performance (in blue, as measured by OTC's Valuations) to the rest of the league at his position. To understand how to read the diamond, read this explainer.
OTC Valuation | APY | |
---|---|---|
Regular | $2,094,000 | $19,250,000 |
Injury Adjusted | $6,025,875 | $12,031,250 |
Weekly Valuation Trends
The chart below illustrates the trend of the player's weekly OTC Valuations (in blue) from the most recent season, using APY (in green) and, if applicable, cash that is due to the player in the next season (in red) as benchmarks. Weeks not plotted indicate that the player was inactive or on a bye.
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