Michael Thomas says he’s ‘still building every day’ after promising practice vs. Chargers

COSTA MESA, Calif. — Michael Thomas may have had his best practice of training camp to date Thursday, flashing in both 1-on-1 drills and full-team drills when the Saints conducted joint practices against the Chargers in Southern California.

Not surprisingly, though, Thomas still holds himself to a much higher standard.

“I wish I would’ve went 4-0 in 1-on-1s, but I went 3-1,” Thomas said bluntly when asked if he accomplished what he wanted to against competition like All-Pro safety Derwin James and cornerbacks Asante Samuel Jr. and J.C. Jackson. “So not really. But it’s cool.”

Michael Thomas vs Derwin James pic.twitter.com/CKrXynbTG7— NOF (@nofnetwork) August 17, 2023

Still, it was a promising performance on the heels of Thomas’ 16-yard catch in Sunday’s preseason opener against the Chiefs, in which he played all 12 snaps with the starting unit on their opening touchdown drive.

Thomas, naturally, has shown some combination of age (30) and rust throughout this summer’s camp after he played in just three games over the past two seasons because of ankle and toe injuries. So it’s extremely encouraging to see him trending in the right direction — not to mention seeing him healthy and participating through three-plus weeks now.

However, Thomas wasn’t interested in trying to assess exactly where he stands in his recovery/ramp-up process.

“Honestly, I’m just taking coaching. And right now, I’m just focused on helping the team move the ball and add value. Just be there when the quarterback needs me,” Thomas said. “Right now I’m really not thinking about where I’m at as an individual, just thinking about how we look as an offense, how we’re operating, how I’m playing a factor into that, just doing my job at 100%.”

Carr and Michael Thomas getting the connection going early📺: #KCvsNO on @NFLNetwork📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/bBFpXevVUR pic.twitter.com/mp1138WG28— NFL (@NFL) August 13, 2023

Most of Thomas’ work this summer has come against Saints Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore — and that’s by design. Thomas specifically requests as many matchups as he can get against his former Ohio State teammate in 1-on-1 drills.

“That’s the type of rep that keeps you honest,” Thomas explained. “That’s the type of rep that makes you think and have a plan at the line. That’s the type of rep that makes you want to go hard. That’s like, that’s a game rep. That’s how you maximize the period, is by going against the best and competing at a high level.”

It was probably a good thing Thomas got to face some new competition against both the Chiefs and Chargers, though, and not just because Lattimore has been so dominant this summer.

Thomas said it was “fun” to face a Chargers secondary that has “a lot of talent, a lot of guys who can move and play well.”

“Those are more reps that keep you honest,” Thomas said.

It also gave Thomas and quarterback Derek Carr a better chance to work on their rhythm and timing and ability to adjust together on the fly. As Carr has lamented multiple times this summer, it’s tough to go against a Saints defense that often yells out the offense’s play calls before the ball is even snapped.

The 16-yard catch Sunday was a perfect example of the growing rapport between QB and WR, with both of them recognizing the opening that was created in the middle of the field.

“I mean, we’re still building every day,” Thomas said. “Derek is a pro. So when you have two pros that’s played a lot of football and know how to communicate and non-verbal communication and demeanor, I think I show a lot of that in the game so he can always feel where I’m at and stuff. I think that’s what the good quarterback-receiver duos have; they have that relationship where it can be non-verbal communication and guys can lean on you.

“So we’re just building on that, building trust. And we don’t feel like we’ve arrived or are anywhere close to arriving. So we’re just here to keep building off of that.”

The Saints battle in CaliforniaThe Dot presented by Matt Bowers Auto GroupFull Episode: https://t.co/6IdB6MHBnH pic.twitter.com/vy5CzSg9B5— NOF (@nofnetwork) August 18, 2023