Michael Thomas dealing with high ankle sprain after disappointing Week 1 performance

Now we know why New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas only gained 17 yards Sunday. Thomas reportedly suffered a high ankle sprain during the Saints’ 34-23 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

While fantasy players might freak out about that news, Thomas reportedly believes he can play through the injury.

The Saints don’t play until Monday in Week 2, so that gives Thomas an extra day to recover.

Thomas received just five targets during Sunday’s win. He caught three balls for 17 yards. Thomas had more than five targets in every game last season.

Michael Thomas will attempt to play through injury

We don’t know the exact severity of Thomas’ injury, but high ankle sprains can take weeks to recover. We also don’t know if Thomas’ decision to play will impact how quickly his ankle is able to heal. The injury was clearly a problem Sunday, as Thomas didn’t produce anywhere near his usual numbers.

Now that the injury has been diagnosed, Thomas may be better prepared for what’s ahead. The Saints are a much better team when Thomas is on the field, so the team will do whatever it can to get Thomas close to 100 percent. It’s possible that will help Thomas put up numbers over the next couple weeks, but an injury of this severity shouldn’t be taken lightly.

More NFL from Yahoo Sports:

• Lions linebacker ejected for bizarre headbutt of ref

• Paylor: Only chain snatching seemed to bother Cam

• Wetzel: Brady’s Bucs debut shows harsh life outside Pats bubble

• Robinson: Poe lone Cowboy to kneel during anthem in SNF