Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has gotten the spotlight ahead of the November 10 trade deadline. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars have unequivocally stated that they aren't interested in moving him, or at least they weren't until very recently.
Based on intel Adam Schefter of ESPN shared, it looks like the Jags may have at last changed their tune about trading Thomas with the deadline just around the corner.
The Jaguars may finally be open to trading Brian Thomas Jr.
Before the early slate of Week 9 Sunday games, Adam Schefter revealed that the Jaguars may be listening to offers in exchange for Thomas.
"We're going to start with Brian Thomas, who played only 19 plays on Thursday night," Schefter said on Sunday NFL Countdown. "Jacksonville resisted trade overtures so far, but it sounds like they're going to listen before Tuesday. We'll see if they make a deal."
The "it sounds like" could be doing some heavy lifting, as Schefter doesn't sound 100 percent convinced. That said, it wouldn't be particularly shocking to see the Jags finally change their stance.
Dating back to the offseason, the Jags have made it clear that the 2024 first-round pick was part of their offense (and their future). However, his role on offense has suffered a steep drop-off. Moreover, Jacksonville could afford to move on from him because rookie Josh Cameron has had an impact from the get-go. Similarly, Travis Hunter has seen an uptick in playing time at receiver.
On the other hand, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Media reported that Jacksonville may be hesitant to deal Thomas to avoid disrupting the team's chemistry. Then again, it's hard to imagine general manager James Gladstone won't entertain offers, especially when you take into account that teams in need of help at receiver could be tangled in a bidding war for the Walker, Louisiana native.
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The Jaguars can't afford to trade Brian Thomas Jr. to the Chiefs or the Steelers
The Jaguars will have no shortage of suitors if they are indeed open to trading Brian Thomas Jr. That said, they should steer clear of sending him to either the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Kansas City Chiefs. Both clubs are in the thick of the playoff race and currently have better seeding than Jacksonville. It wouldn't make sense to help either one, unless one of them makes an offer James Gladstone can't refuse.
Heck, the Las Vegas Raiders may be the one AFC team that could be a realistic trade destination for Thomas. But if their bid isn't good enough, a handful of NFC clubs could most definitely make a push for him. The New York Giants and the Washington Commanders seem like possible landing spots because of the Malik Nabers and Jayden Daniels connections, respectively. However, the San Francisco 49ers would also make sense.
Now that the Jaguars have seemingly changed their tune about Brian Thomas Jr., we could see a flurry of activity with the trade deadline looming.
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