Michael Thomas has performed as well as any NFL receiver over the last three seasons and he wants his next contract to reflect that fact.
The New Orleans Saints love the production they have received from Thomas but are finding it difficult to justify his pay request. Thomas is not just looking for a pay increase. He wants to become the highest paid receiver that has ever played in the NFL.
Thomas is requesting a contract that will pay him $22 million. This would not only surpass the largest present contract for a receiver. It would blow it out the water. The highest paid receiver at this time Odell Beckham Jr. He is paid $18 million annually.
The Saints are willing to give a large pay raise to their top receiver. They have even made statements suggested they are willing to make him the league’s highest-paid receiver. However, they are reluctant to meet the number Thomas is requesting. One local media source says the Saints have made offers in the $18 million range. This leaves the sides $4 million apart.
Another factor involved is the guaranteed money in the contract. The full contract for Beckham Jr. is $90 million over five years. The contract also guarantees $65 million to Beckham Jr. It is presumed Thomas will want his new contract to top Beckham’s in guaranteed money also.
On the surface, it may seem that Thomas’ pay request is absurd. However, there are other factors involved. The market price for receivers is primed to soar in the near future. Receivers like Amari Cooper, Julio Jones, and A.J. Green are all set to negotiate new contracts in the coming months. These contract could push the market for top receivers over the $20 million mark.
Michael Thomas was drafted from by the New Orleans Saints in 2016. He has caught 321 passes since that time. This total is more than any other receiver has caught over the same time period. Antonio Brown is the only other receiver who has reached 300 catches from 2016 to 2018. Brown has 311 catches over these three seasons.
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