NewOrleans.football's Nick Underhill reports Michael Thomas (ankle) will "need about 6-8 weeks for the repaired [ankle] ligament to heal and then another 6-8 weeks to get it in shape to where he can run and cut effectively."

25 July 2021

Underhill, as plugged in as any NFL beat writer, said there remains a "possibility that Thomas could shorten the timeline but being on the field for the season opener against the Green Bay Packers seems unlikely." The worst case scenario, per the recovery timeline reported by Underhill, would put Thomas back on the field in late October. The best case would put Thomas in the Saints' lineup by the end of September, perhaps for their Week 3 game against New England. Underhill said Thomas saw a specialist right after the 2020 season who advised him to hold off on surgery after Thomas struggled through the ankle injury he suffered in the Saints' season opener. The specialist believed there was "at least some possibility he could rehabilitate the injury and avoid surgery." The team, however, wanted Thomas to undergo an ankle procedure when he reported in June.