The last time that Michael Thomas played in an NFL game was 2020. This was due to a right ankle injury that has caused him more trouble that he anticipated per Mike Triplett of ESPN.

His right ankle injury was originally suffered in Week 1 of the 2020 season, and required multiple surgeries. Now, Thomas is back at the New Orleans Saints training camp for the 1st time and is just grateful to be there. The former Ohio State WR is now expected to be active for Week 1 of the 2022 season.

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“Man, I’m kind of lost for words,” said Thomas. “I didn’t want to come up here and get emotional or anything. But it was a blessing to be back out there with the guys.”

Thomas stated that he hopes people can learn something from his comeback story. While it’s unfortunate that he hasn’t been on the football field in so long, he is glad that he went through the struggle.

“Everybody loves somebody that comes back from adversity. I feel like a lot of people in this world can learn from that,” Thomas said. “It’s better to have some adversity than not have some adversity, just to show how you respond. I think it shows a lot of character, it shows the type of man you are. And, I mean, I love playing football.”

The Saints kick off the 2022 NFL season against Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 11 at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.