The New Orleans Saints signed wide receiver Michael Thomas to a blockbuster five-year, $100 million contract extension earlier in training camp, and the specifics of that new deal have now been reported.
In an excellent example of crafty salary cap structure from Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and his team, the $20 million per-year contract Thomas signed only has one season with a cap hit greater than $20 million — and it’s not until 2023.
This gives the Saints plenty of flexibility in the near future, and for good reason; other important names like running back Alvin Kamara and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins will soon be free agents, requiring their own big-money deals.