SaintFanInATLHELL

Not in the NFL. The NFL as a league has 3 hallmarks: contracts are not guaranteed, injuries are guaranteed, and performance is king.

MT goes out on the practice field like Dez did and ruptures his Achilles. It's game over.

MT has historic production over the first 3 seasons of his career. NFL records. He's outplayed his contract. So he needs to secure his financial future before he steps out on the field again.

BTW it works the other way too. A team will restructure a contract or cut a player in a hot minute if their production doesn't match the dollars they are being paid. After the guaranteed money, a contract isn't worth the paper it's written on.

One also needs to understand how NFL contracts are structured. Because guaranteed money is spread across the cap, the tendency is to have extensions of long length to lower the cap hit. The problem is that the market moves in the meantime and players often outplay their extensions. A contract is pretty much over once the guaranteed money runs out. So early signing extensions are the players' way of restructuring contracts for their benefit.

Just advocating for Thomas. He's a 2nd round pick that is playing like a Hall of Famer. He should get his money. And honestly I don't believe the Saints have a problem giving it to him. It's just a matter of crossing t's and dotting i's. I also believe there's a game of chicken going on between the Saints, Atlanta, Thomas, and Julio Jones, who is also trying to get his contract refreshed. Jones cannot sign any new deal before tomorrow (Friday) because the Clowns threw extra money at him last year and a deal has to hold for a calendar year before it can be amended. So whomever jumps last will probably get the best deal.

SFIAH

Super Bowl Championships: New Orleans Saints:1, Carolina:0, Atlanta Chokers: STILL ZERO

Only Atlanta choked in an unchokable situation... Life is definitely good.