Saints' Thomas: Chip on my shoulder 'grows every day'

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas can't wait to put his game back on the right track after multiple injury-plagued seasons.

"The chip (on my shoulder) is very big. It's very big. But it grows every day," Thomas said Tuesday of the 2023 season.

Thomas was the Offensive Player of the Year in 2019 after a historic effort, in which he set an NFL single-season record with 149 catches. He also led the league with 1,725 receiving yards that year.

He hasn't been able to replicate that production since, as injuries limited him to only 10 regular-season appearances in the last three campaigns. The 30-year-old, who didn't play at all in 2021, appeared in seven games in 2020 and three last year.

The Ohio State product said he feels good at training camp this year, adding that being able to participate without limitations is "a blessing."

"I feel like I'm trending in the right direction," Thomas said. "Taking every day one day at a time, trying to execute at a high level."

The three-time Pro Bowler is part of a Saints wide receiver depth chart that also features 2022 first-round pick Chris Olave, among others.

Thomas, Olave and the Saints' receivers are now catching passes from a different quarterback, as New Orleans acquired veteran Derek Carr this offseason. Carr, a four-time Pro Bowler, spent his first nine NFL seasons with Las Vegas Raiders.

Thomas likes what he's seen from Carr so far.

"It's been progressing tremendously," Thomas said of his relationship with Carr. "Derek, he's a great leader, he's very vocal, he knows what wants, he tells us what he wants."

The Saints went 7-10 last year and missed the playoffs for the second straight season. They kick off their 2023 campaign at home against the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 10.

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