NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen showed concern regarding the recovery of injured offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk while talking to media during the annual NFL owners’ meetings in Orlando, Fla., on Tuesday.
“A few weeks ago, I was feeling a lot better about it, and yet I don't know that I'm seeing as much progress as I was hoping to see at this point,” said Allen, who was more optimistic last month saying the 2019 All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler (2018, 2020) was doing "much better" after undergoing off-season surgery to repair a knee injury that cost him the final four games of the season.
“We got plenty of time," he added. "We're just going to have to wait and see how that all goes as we go through all the offseason and as we get into the training camp aspect.”
Allen's concern amplified when asked if the 29-year-old's injury could pose a problem next season.
“It could be," explained Allen.
According to WWL Louisiana media partner Nola.com, Ramczyk agreed earlier this month to drop his base salary from $17 million to a new deal that guarantees him only $6.5 million (a $5.3 million signing bonus and a $1.2 million base salary).
The new deal helps the Saints open $14 million in cap space.
Former Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas, who was released two weeks ago, took to social media to blast the team's handling of player injuries, starting with Allen.
"It’s like he uses the same line and just changes the player's name as if there isn't a team doctor and trainers on staff that have nothing to do with it," Thomas posted on X (formerly known as Twitter). "They trying to protect them as much as possible but hey don’t mind me I don’t work there no more. But that’s the real problem."
He then followed up with another since-deleted post published by Nola.com that was critical of Allen, saying "That man don't know nothing about health or progressing he just go off what that staff say instead of using his own head or doing his own research."
Thomas' eight-year run with the Saints peaked in 2019 when the two-time First-team All-Pro caught a league-record 149 passes. Since then, the 2016 second-round pick out of Ohio State has spent the majority of the past four seasons sidelined by injuries, including an ankle injury that forced him to miss most of 2020 and the entirety of 2021, followed by a foot injury that caused him to miss all but the first three games of 2022.
In 2023, Thomas played in 10 of 17 games. He caught 39 passes for 448 yards with one touchdown – his fourth in four years.
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