The Michael Thomas extension is technically worth “up to” $20 million per year

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Shockingly (#sarcasm), the initial reports regarding the value of the Michael Thomas contract overstated the value of the deal.

And not just because of the new money vs. total value analysis. Per a source with knowledge of the deal, the extension given to the Saints receiver has a base value not of $20 million per year but $19.25 million per year.

While that’s still a great deal, it’s not the $100 million contract that Thomas coveted. It can still get to $100 million, but as the source put it, “He has to do some crazy sh-t in the last two years of the deal” to get there.

Those details don’t matter, of course. The notion of $100 million and $20 million per year already is baked into the NFL news cake, fueled by the tweets from national reporters who don’t simply shoot first and ask questions later but shoot first and never ask questions at all. Because asking questions is the quickest way to get removed from the group text with the scoop.