<
        >

          NFL Nation

          Saints' Michael Thomas throws jab at Raiders GM Mike Mayock

          play
          Young: Raiders 'need to treat Brown differently' (0:52)

          Steve Young calls Antonio Brown a "star" and says that the Raiders should be more flexible when dealing with a player of his caliber. (0:52)

          • Mike Triplett, ESPN Staff WriterSep 6, 2019, 12:54 AM
            Close
            • Covered Saints for eight years at New Orleans Times-Picayune
            • Previously covered LSU football, San Francisco 49ers
            • Iowa native and University of Iowa graduate
            Follow on X

          METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas threw a jab at Oakland Raiders general manager Mike Mayock on Thursday in an apparent show of support for fellow receiver Antonio Brown.

          Mayock ranked prospects in his former gig as a draft analyst for the NFL Network.

          On Wednesday, Brown and Mayock got into a heated exchange, and the team is planning to suspend its star receiver, league sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

          Thomas, who has been fueled by doubters throughout his football life, was in fact the sixth receiver drafted in 2016. He was drafted 47th overall out of Ohio State -- behind Corey Coleman, Will Fuller V, Josh Doctson, Laquon Treadwell and Sterling Shepard.

          Thomas proved a lot of teams (and draft analysts) wrong when he shattered the NFL record with 321 catches in his first three seasons. He became the highest-paid receiver in NFL history last month on a per-year basis, signing a five-year extension worth between $96.25 million to $100 million.