New Orleans Saints running back Pierre Thomas tore a tendon in his ankle, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

Thomas, the Saints' leading rusher during their Super Bowl-winning season in 2009, has just 46 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown this season, and will miss a seventh straight game on Sunday.

Schefter adds that Thomas, who is seeking a long-term contract extension, may have been better off having surgery when the injury originally happened in September.