Since Diontae Johnson was traded to the Carolina Panthers, the Pittsburgh Steelers have added two wide receivers to their roster. They could still be interested in adding Michael Thomas or another free agent wideout, though.
On April 5, Noah Strackbein of SI.com’s All Steelers made the case that the Steelers ought to sign the former wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints.
After spending the first eight years of his career in New Orleans, Michael Thomas is still available as a free agent, according to Strackbein. After four seasons marred by injuries, he’s searching for a new home in the hopes of making a comeback with a new team at age 31 and with ten games under his belt from the previous campaign.
“At this stage of his career, Thomas is a fantastic No. 2 receiver in the NFL at his best. He had four straight seasons with 1,000 yards before suffering many injuries; his finest was in 2019 when he set a league record with 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns. The Steelers need a very dependable No. 3 wide receiver who can play the slot, and he’s not a 1,000-yard option if healthy.
Thomas was one of the NFL’s top wide receivers in his peak. In 2018 and 2019, he made the first team All-Pro.
When Thomas set a league record in 2019 with 149 catches and 1,725 receiving yards, he was at his best. This summer, Thomas, a free agent, also has nine receiving touchdowns.
How the Steelers Could Use Michael Thomas
There isn’t much to lose for the Steelers in taking a shot on Thomas if the price is right.
With Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins, two seasoned wide receivers, the club is effectively doing just that. Each wide receiver signed a one-year, $1.292 million contract with the Steelers. At the time of signing, less than $200,000 of that sum was guaranteed.
The Steelers only presently have one wide receiver on their roster who had more than 209 receiving yards in the previous season, despite those acquisitions. Thus, they might benefit from an advancement in the role.
The All-Pro Thomas of old is no longer. However, he recorded twice as many receptions for 448 receiving yards in 2023 (39 catches) than any other Steelers receiver last year, excluding George Pickens.
Playing against Pickens, who led the NFL in 2023 with an average of 18.1 yards per reception, Thomas may be a good possession receiver.
The issue is that Thomas is not likely to sign for less than $2 million, unlike Watkins and Jefferson. This offseason, Spotrac estimated Thomas’ market worth to be $9.2 million on a one-year contract.
To decide if Thomas is worth that much, the Steelers would need to consider the dangers involved. He hasn’t had a season with 500 yards and has missed 67 games due to injury over the past four years.
Steelers Require a Starting Wide Receiver
This season, if healthy, Thomas may be a fantastic wide receiver for an NFL team. However, Pittsburgh needs another wide receiver to start; they couldn’t simply use an upgrade at WR3.
Watkins and Jefferson both have prior starting experience. But last year, they only totaled 351 receiving yards as a unit.
The other playmakers on Pittsburgh’s current roster with NFL experience are Cordarrelle Patterson and Calvin Austin. Austin isn’t prepared for a starting position opposite Pickens after just 17 receptions in the previous campaign.
Patterson, on the other hand, may line up as a receiver in the slot. However, he would be better served as an offensive running back.
The wideout who relieves the club of the near necessity to add to the position on the first two draft days should be the receiver the Steelers sign before to the draft. But Thomas won’t do it because of his prior injuries.
The Steelers would likely still need to choose a receiver in the draft who could contribute right away, even if they signed Thomas.
However, Pittsburgh shouldn’t rule out pursuing Thomas. Thomas may be worth the gamble as a WR3 if the Steelers are successful in selecting a WR2 in the draft.
Dave Holcomb is a sports writer for Heavy.com who focuses on the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers while covering MLB and the NFL. Holcomb, who is originally from Pittsburgh, has covered professional and collegiate sports for publications including Fansided, Rotowire, and Yardbarker. Additional information on Dave Holcomb
