A wild situation is brewing down in Jacksonville, and it involves former Pro Bowl wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. The NFL trade deadline of November 10 is fast approaching, and there are wildly different stories flying around about whether the Jaguars will actually move the 24-year-old receiver. According to Jonathan Jones over at The Athletic, the Jags have been “fending off interest” in Thomas for an entire year, apparently “firm” in their desire to keep him. But here’s the kicker: Jones also talked to an anonymous rival executive who, when asked if the Jaguars would part ways with BTJ, gave a flat-out, “Yes they would.” Talk about a complete disagreement!
From Rookie Superstar to Sixth-Game Benching
This whole saga blew up even more after Thomas struggled and then got benched in the second half of the team’s Week 6 loss to the Houston Texans. That single game apparently “ramped up belief within the league that Jacksonville ultimately will move him by the deadline.” And honestly, when you look at the numbers, you can see why the league is sniffing around. Thomas was drafted 23rd overall by the Jaguars in the 2024 NFL draft out of LSU, and early on, he looked like a future superstar. His rookie season was insane: Pro Bowl honors, 87 catches for 1,282 yards, and 10 touchdowns. Who wouldn’t want that? But then, his production fell off a cliff last season, dropping to 48 receptions for 707 yards and just two scores. And this year? Through six games, it’s bottomed out with only nine grabs for 105 yards and a single touchdown. Yikes.
Buried On The Depth Chart and Out of Targets
It’s clear as day that BTJ has totally fallen down the pecking order in Jacksonville. He’s behind Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers, no question. But it gets worse. Josh Cameron and even Travis Hunter, who primarily plays cornerback, have seemingly supplanted him as of late. To top it all off, quarterback Trevor Lawrence is often looking for tight end Brenton Strange, who is tied for the team lead with 26 receptions. The guy Thomas is supposed to be competing with isn’t even getting the ball! Jonathan Jones believes that the Jaguars could snag a Day 2 draft pick for Thomas. If that’s the case, it makes you wonder if it isn’t just smarter for them to make a move rather than letting a former first-round pick rot on the bench.
The trade deadline on November 10 is rapidly approaching. Will the Jaguars stick to their supposed “firm” stance on keeping Thomas, or will the growing pressure and that anonymous exec’s words win out? This is a huge decision for their future, and it’s going to tell us a lot about what they really think of Brian Thomas Jr.’s role in Jacksonville going forward.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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