New Orleans Saints star wide receiver Michael Thomas is sidelined for the team’s Week 2 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, promoting veteran wideout Emmanuel Sanders as the de facto WR1.
It makes sense to expect more targets for Sanders. He’s played the Raiders 13 times in his NFL career, more often than any other team, and he’s used to drawing coverage from his opponents’ best cornerbacks. Putting him in that position also avoids overburdening less-experienced teammates like Tre’Quan Smith and Deonte Harris.
But it won’t be a perfect adjustment; Thomas and Sanders each have different roles to play in the offense, and Sanders is still working to master a very complex Saints playbook.