After an underwhelming showing in Week 2, Brian Thomas Jr. rightly saw a drop-off in playing time. But despite his reduced role, head coach Liam Coen stated that the Jacksonville Jaguars weren't trying to send a message and would need him to make plays in the near future. No. 7 indeed had his number called in the win over the Cincinnati Bengals and delivered.
Although Thomas' numbers didn't pop off the stat sheet, he did haul in two passes on two targets for 17 yards with a touchdown. Moreover, he saw an uptick in playing time, logging 38 offensive snaps. For context, he had 23 in the win over the Patriots, so it's clear that the 2024 first-round pick took a step in the right direction against Cincy.
Brian Thomas Jr makes the most of his Jaguars chances vs. the Bengals
Liam Coen met with reporters after the win over Cincinnati. He said that Brian Thomas Jr. came through, noting that his struggles are being overblown.
"I mean, everybody's going to try to continue to create a narrative anytime it isn't a star day for somebody, you know," Coen told reporters (2:10 mark). "Everybody's going to try to create a narrative, and all we've been is consistent with our messaging to BT, to everybody else, to this locker room, and all he continues to do is stay the course and show it up in a major way for us today."
Thomas did have a solid performance against the Bengals, but let's not act like he's been phased out of the game plan. Did he take advantage of his opportunities? You bet, but rookie Josh Cameron had as many targets as him, and tight end Nate Boerkircher was targeted a career-best eight times.
Granted, some opportunities are matchup-based: Parker Washington was targeted just three times and caught one pass, but he's without a doubt the team's WR1. Meanwhile, Thomas isn't currently one of Jacksonville's top options in the passing game. If he wants to change that, he'll need to put his head down and keep earning a bigger role. For the time being, the Walker, Louisiana native felt great about scoring his first touchdown of the season.
Brian Thomas Jr. on finding himself wide open in the end zone for his first touchdown of the season. 🔥🏈#jaguars #duuuval #brianthomasjr pic.twitter.com/X9JeLaPYe7
— Action Sports Jax (@ActionSportsJax) October 4, 2026
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The Jaguars will keep giving Brian Thomas Jr. limited opportunities
The Jaguars are stacked at receivers, so they can afford not to force-feed Brian Thomas Jr. With Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, and Josh Cameron in the mix, Thomas will continue to have a limited role until he proves he will get the most out of it. And that's the thing: Maybe if his drops were an isolated incident, Jacksonville would shrug it off, but it isn't.
Thomas has a history of dealing with drops dating back to 2025. Similarly, he struggles when running in-breaker routes, so unless the former LSU Tiger shows that he can catch needle-drop passes in the middle of the field, his usage will be limited.
Of course, there's always the chance that Brian Thomas Jr. could change teams at the trade deadline. He'll garner interest if the Jaguars make him available. But for the moment, he remains a part of their offensive puzzle, albeit in a small role. Then again, that's better than not having a role at all.
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