Brian Thomas Jr. one of many Jaguars players who are thrilled Trent Baalke's gone

The Jacksonville Jaguars gave fans a reason to celebrate when they dismissed Trent Baalke. However, they were far from the only ones who were glad the embattled general manager is gone.

Not long after the Jags announced that they had parted ways with Baalke, wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. caught wind of the news on Instagram and liked the post. Twitter user @RobotJaguar took a screenshot.

Thomas would later unliked the post. Maybe he didn't like the optics. Regardless of the reason, he was far from the only Jaguars player who was thrilled to hear Baalke is out. User @hfaudiophile took a different screenshot of the announcement and pointed out that cornerback Jarrian Jones, safety Daniel Thomas, and kicker Cam Little liked the post.

Heck, someone mentioned in the comment section that former Jaguars safety Rayshawn Jenkins also joined in the fun. Kelvin Taylor, son of Jaguars legend Fred Taylor, chimed in and made it clear how he felt about Baalke.

You could make the case that players are being ungrateful because Baalke was the one who brought them to Jacksonville, but the truth is that he wasn't doing them a favor. They offered their services and the Jags hired them.

It's sometimes easy to forget that the NFL is a business, but just like players must always give their best, coaches and executives must treat them with respect. Based on how many players reacted to the news that Jacksonville kicked Baalke to the curb, it looks like they didn't feel they were being appreciated.

Brian Thomas Jr. is a finalist for the NFL's 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year

If anyone can share his thoughts about Trent Baalke or anything else, it's Brian Thomas Jr. He earned it after having a banner season for the Jaguars. The former LSU Tiger is a finalist for the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year Honors. Moreover, he'll replace fellow receiver Zay Flowers in the Pro Bowl.

Thomas was a bright spot for the Jaguars in 2024, hauling in 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns. On top of that, he tied legendary NFL receiver Randy Moss for the most games (eight) with 60-plus yards and at least a touchdown as a rookie.

Even if Thomas ends up losing the award to Jayden Daniels, the fact that he's earned consideration is worth praising.

Trent Baalke also had a less-than-stellar reputation with the 49ers

Circling back to Trent Baalke, he has been known for antagonizing coaches and is known as someone who's difficult to work with dating back to his days with the 49ers. Don't you think it's feasible that his poor behavior extended to players?

Former 49ers safety Jimmie Ward once talked about how Baalke condescendingly asked him if he knew what he was doing. Nobody would be shocked if reports surface that the general manager acted the same with other players in both the Bay Area and Duval.

The bottom line is that players aren't shedding a tear because Baalke got fired. As the old saying goes, you reap what you sow, and the general manager routinely antagonized coaches (and most likely players).

It's a shame that owner Shad Khan didn't realize earlier that Trent Baalke was an issue. Everyone knew how toxic he was, but at least it's done. Now, the Jaguars must make sure they bring in the right head coach and the general manager to steer the ship in the right direction.

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