Thomas (ankle) is expected to rejoin the Saints for practice Wednesday as a limited participant, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
After missing the Saints' final three regular-season games with a high-ankle sprain, Thomas is eligible to return from injured reserve this week as New Orleans prepares for its wild-card matchup Sunday versus the Bears. The Saints have yet to designate Thomas for a return from IR, but Rapoport's report suggests that will happen later Wednesday. According to Rapoport, Thomas is gradually expected to ramp up his activity throughout the week with the hope of suiting up against Chicago, but his return to game action is not locked in at this stage. Per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, coach Sean Payton said the Saints likely won't have a good feel for Thomas' status for the postseason opener until later in the week, after the team has a chance to see how his ankle responds to practice work.