All-Pro Michael Thomas and the New Orleans Saints agreed to a five-year, $100 million contract with a $20 million signing bonus that will make him the league’s highest-paid wide receiver.
According to multiple reports, the deal includes $61 million in guaranteed money, which brings Thomas’ training camp holdout to an end.
Thomas will earn $1.1 million in the final year of his rookie contract in 2019, and the extension will lock him up with the Saints through the 2024 season. He did not report to training camp while awaiting a new deal and set $20 million per season as his benchmark.
The agreement will set the standard for other receivers in line for new contracts, including Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons and Amari Cooper of the Dallas Cowboys.
The Saints drafted Thomas, an Ohio State product, in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Had Thomas been selected in the first round, his contract would have run five years through 2020.
In his young career, Thomas has 321 catches, the most by any player in NFL history in his first three seasons. Last season, he set New Orleans records with 125 catches, which led the league, and 1,405 yards, plus nine TD catches.
–Field Level Media
