After making it clear that they're not planning to trade Brian Thomas Jr., the Jacksonville Jaguars could be warming up to the idea ahead of the trade deadline.
The Jags have been getting inquiries about Thomas for a while but have refused to deal him, with head coach Liam Coen going as far as saying that he expects him to make plays against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8.
However, Tom Pelissero of The Ringer reports that Jacksonville could be at last open to the idea of dealing the third-year wideout. If tha'ts the case, he'll have no shortage of suitors. Heck, two teams in the AFC may already be zeroing in on him.
The Steelers and the Chiefs could be trade destinations for Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers are among Brian Thomas Jr.'s potential landing spots, adding that he believes the Jaguars could trade him after their Thursday Night Football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9.
"Yeah, you have teams in the receiver market like the Kansas City Chiefs that need one. I believe they have multiple lines in the water as far as receivers," Fowler said. "The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking around. So here's how this could play out. The Jaguars have not totally committed to trading Brian Thomas right now, but he's in and out of the lineup."
Fowler continued, "He would welcome a change at this point, most likely. Teams are certainly interested. They play Sunday Night, or excuse me, Sunday, and then Thursday night against the Ravens. So nothing would happen before then, most likely. But after that, things could heat up."
Reaction to latest Jonathan Taylor news…teams I’ve talked to value Taylor at a ‘2+’ clip - second-round pick and more.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 31, 2026
Plus, the latest on the receiver market and Brian Thomas Jr. pic.twitter.com/mijzgfp2r9
The Thursday Night game is on November 5, five days before the deadline, so Jacksonville would still have ample time to get a deal done even after facing the Ravens. That said, trading Thomas after the Colts game wouldn't affect the Jags' preparation against Baltimore. If anything, moving on from him as soon as possible could allow the coaching staff to game-plan without him.
On the other hand, the Jaguars may want to wait for teams to bid against each other in an effort to drive up Thomas' price and get the best possible offer. The Arizona Cardinals got a second-rounder in return for Marvin Harrison Jr. Jacksonville may be able to get a similar offer for Thomas.
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The Jaguars need to trade Brian Thomas Jr. to the higgest bidder
Aside from the Steelers and Kansas City, the Washington Commanders, the Los Angeles Rams, and the San Francisco 49ers have popped up as other landing spots for Brian Thomas Jr. Ideally, the Jags will want to get him out of the AFC but may ultimately shop him to the highest bidder regardless of where it plays.
And that's the thing: If the Jaguars are moving on from Thomas, it's because they no longer believe he can make an impact. It wouldn't matter where it goes. Granted, Jacksonville could see him leave and see the 2024 first-round pick thrive with another team, but he got countless opportunities in Duval and wasn't able to take advantage of them. At some point, you have to cut your losses.
In the Jaguars' case, they did their best to get Brian Thomas Jr. but failed. A fresh start may be best for everyone, especially if Jacksonville can get a Day 2 pick in exchange for him.
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