A report earlier this week indicated that the Saints and wide receiver Michael Thomas still had a sizable gap to bridge in talks about a new contract and there’s now word on exactly how big a gap exists between the two sides.
Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com had the initial report and reports on Friday that Thomas is looking for an average annual salary of $22 million a year in his next contract. He adds that the Saints are offering something in the neighborhood of $18 million per year.
Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. currently has the highest average salary per year for wide receivers at $18 million. With Thomas, Julio Jones, A.J. Green and Amari Cooper all in the market for new deals, that number is likely to go up at some point in the near future.
It may not reach the number that Thomas is seeking, although Duncan reports that’s already come down over the course of talks with the team. It could continue to come down and nothing is expected to happen in the immediate future as Thomas is traveling in Europe at the moment.