A former superstar who should be a Chicago Bears offseason target
By Ryan Olson
What is the price of a Michael Thomas trade or signing?
I do not think any team would be looking to trade for Michael Thomas and his contract that costs nearly $30 million for each of the next two years — especially due to his recent injury issues. If any team(s) was truly interested, I would assume that they wouldn’t need to restructure his contract.
I think once Michael Thomas hits free agency, his price would be roughly $15 million a year. However, the contract would not include a large sum of guaranteed money and should contain an opt-out. Za’Darius Smith’s contract could be a good baseline for how much a former elite player with an injury history will earn on the open market. Smith is earning $42 million over three years. For Thomas, a three-year contract worth roughly $45 million seems appropriate.
Thomas would likely want a chance to hit the open market if he can get healthy and have a monster season for one last time in his career. Therefore, he may prefer a short-term deal that allows him to hit another payday before his career comes to an end.