The NFL is finally getting back to the field, but the biggest stories are developing off of it. According to the latest NFL rumors, the New Orleans Saints and Michael Thomas appear to be past the point of no return. In other news, Michael Gallup is moving around the formation while the Arizona Cardinals have a unique partner.
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NFL Rumors: Michael Thomas, Michael Gallup, Arizona Cardinals
Michael Thomas Drama Continues
Michael Thomas recently underwent surgery for an ankle injury, and everything has gone downhill since then. Head coach Sean Payton said that the surgery should have happened sooner, and reports soon followed that Thomas ghosted the team for months on end. Thomas sent out a cryptic tweet following these allegations, but the drama doesn’t end there.
While he never directly tweeted about the issue again, the wide receiver liked a few tweets saying that New Orleans urged him to play through injury, seeing as 2020 was likely to be the end of the Drew Brees era. Another liked reply said that the medical staff told Thomas he didn’t need surgery, while an independent doctor recommended he get the surgery.
same thing here pic.twitter.com/RE2PqJUWwX
— Jackson⚜️🚀 (@JacksonnSzn) August 10, 2021
At this point, it feels like the relationship between Thomas and the Saints is completely unsalvageable. The Saints will probably trade Thomas at some point, but it’s hard to imagine that happening this year. If they traded him in 2021, New Orleans would take on $8.9 million in dead money this year and a staggering $22.7 million in 2022. Only time will tell how this situation plays out, but it doesn’t look good for either side.
Michael Gallup Widening His Route Tree
The Dallas Cowboys have arguably the best wide receiver trio in the league, and it’s going to be even more dangerous in 2021. According to the wide receiver himself, Gallup has spent more time in the slot during training camp and that his route tree is “a whole lot different” than in years past.
The Cowboys primarily used Gallup as a deep threat last, but the wide receiver says that he knows he can do “a whole lot more”. If Gallup is correct, then the Cowboys suddenly have three wide receivers capable of playing every spot in the Dallas offense at a high level. The trio of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Antonio Brown might be more talented, but the Cowboys trio is probably the more versatile.
Don’t look now, but this could be the last year this formidable grouping suits up in Dallas. While Cooper and Lamb are under contract for the foreseeable future, but Gallup is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Following reports that the Cowboys will not extend the wide receiver, Gallup could make himself a very rich man when free agency kicks off.
Arizona Cardinals Partner With BetMGM
Remember when the NFL wouldn’t allow Tony Romo to host a fantasy football expo? How the times have changed. On Monday, the Arizona Cardinals announced that they have partnered with BetMGM to open a sportsbook at State Farm Stadium. This is the first time an NFL team has had that type of partnership, but it certainly won’t be the last. According to the announcement, BetMGM is hoping to open inside State Farm Stadium in 2022.
Arizona law allows for professional sports venues to offer sports betting, and this is just the latest in the NFL’s continued push to make sports betting a part of the professional football experience. As time goes on, look for these numbers to rise as partnerships like these become more and more common.
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