The New Orleans Saints wide receiver corps had the potential to be one of the NFL’s very best coming into the season, or at least some of us thought.
But through eight weeks of the season, that has yet to transpire. And it never will thanks to injuries.
The latest news is an update on the status of former All-Pro Michael Thomas, who hasn’t played since Week 3. He’ll need surgery on his toe and is now expected to miss the remainder of the season.
The unfortunate injury is just the latest in a string of them that have limited Thomas to just 10 games in the last three years.
Breaking: Michael Thomas is expected to miss the rest of the season, Saints HC Dennis Allen announced.
Allen added that Thomas' toe did not respond as they hoped to rehab. He will need surgery. pic.twitter.com/h2AtilzkT8
— ESPN (@espn) November 3, 2022
But while his injury is an obvious blow to the Saints who are just a game back in the wide-open NFC South, it leaves open a big role for rookie first-round pick Chris Olave who has thrived without him.
Thomas’ absence combined with that of Jarvis Landry, who hasn’t played since Week 4, catapulted Olave into No. 1 status sooner than anyone could have imagined. His 63 targets lead the team by a wide margin — 39 more than the next wide receiver — and his 37 receptions for 547 yards also lead the Saints. His two touchdown catches are second.
Olave’s stellar play through seven games has him sitting third in Offensive Rookie of the Year odds at BetMGM (+500). The only rookies with better odds are Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker at +150 and Texans running back Dameon Pierce at +325.
As lead backs, Walker and Pierce still have very good chances to win the award, but Olave currently has more receiving yards than either has rushing yards — though both pace him in touchdowns. So he’s producing enough offense to make it a contest. And his odds become all the more valuable after Thomas’ injury.
Jarvis Landry was at practice today, as well as Adam Trautman. P.J. Williams was also out there.
Among the Saints not spotted on Thursday: Michael Thomas, Mark Ingram, Marshon Lattimore, and Ryan Ramczyk
— John Hendrix (@JohnJHendrix) November 3, 2022
The anticipated return of both Thomas and Landry always threatened to eat into Olave’s target share. But with only Landry expected back — drawing more attention in the short to intermediate range of the field — Olave should continue thriving down the field and maybe even receive more opportunities.
That leaves a lot of value in those +500 odds.
