The connection between an NFL player and their position coach might be one of the most underrated bonds you’ll see in the league. Sure, the quarterback-head coach mind meld is valued highly; but for most players, their interactions with individual position coaches defines most of their training.
That’s been the case for New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas and his coach, Curtis Johnson. Johnson was a fixture of Sean Payton’s early Saints coaching staff, and returned after a few years at Tulane and a brief stop with the Chicago Bears.
While there isn’t much about the Saints playbook Johnson has left to teach Thomas, the pair still talk often about technique and areas of the superstar’s game that could improve.