Even though Brian Thomas Jr. has been the subject of trade chatter dating back to the 2025 deadline, the Jacksonville Jaguars have made it clear that he's not going anywhere, with general manager James Gladstone going as far as saying that any report that suggests the opposite is fraudulent. However, that hasn't stopped the noise.
Earlier this year, Connor Hughes of SNYtv reported that the Jags had trade talks involving Thomas with the New York Jets. More recently, Rich Cimini of ESPN says that their interest in the 2024 first-round pick might not have waned.
The Jets could reach out the Jaguars to inquire about Brian Thomas Jr.
Rich Cimini shared several rumors involving the New York Jets ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. He doesn't rule out New York trading for a veteran receiver, naming Brian Thomas Jr. as a potential target.
"Don't sleep on the possibility of Mougey trading for a veteran," Cimini wrote. It's already been an active offseason for wide receiver trades, and you're talking about a GM who has made 12 player trades in little over a year."
Cimini continued, "Brian Thomas Jr. (Jacksonville Jaguars), Rashod Bateman (Baltimore Ravens), Quentin Johnston (Los Angeles Chargers), and Dontayvio Wicks (Green Bay Packers) have been mentioned as trade possibilities."
As Cimini noted, general manager Darren Mougey has shown that he isn't afraid to make trades to address the larger scale roster. Among his most notable moves in 2025, he acquired wide receivers John Metchei and Adonai Mitchel, and traded defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts, respectively.
This year, New York has traded for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat, and quarterback Geno Smith. This is a long-winded way to say that Mougey could definitely pursue a veteran wideout. That said, it doesn't necessarily have to be Thomas, but he could certainly get consideration.
Thomas was somewhat disappointing last season, catching 48 passes for 707 yards with two touchdowns. Those aren't bad numbers, but they paled in comparison to his 2024 output. That year, the Walker, Louisiana native hauled in 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns.
When you factor in that Jacksonville traded for Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington is coming off a breakout season, it's easy to see why the trade rumors involving Thomas won't go away.
The Jaguars won't trade Brian Thomas Jr. unless the NY Jets blow them away
From a Jaguars perspective, it doesn't make sense to trade Brian Thomas Jr. Sure, he underdelivered in 2025, but he was unstoppable the year prior. Perhaps he had trouble adjusting to Liam Coen's scheme, but regardless of the reason, the former LSU Tiger showed as a rookie that he can take over games. On top of that, he has cap hits of $3.3 million and $3.9 million in 2025 and 2026, respectively.
And precisely because of his rookie production and his affordable contract, Thomas will continue to be an appealing trade candidate. However, it's hard to see the Jaguars trading him unless New York or any other team makes them an offer that will blow them away. At this point, anything short of a first-round pick won't get a deal done. Maybe a club that won't be in a position to draft a receiver early will be willing to meet that kind of price.
Again, the Jaguars don't appear interested in trading Brian Thomas Jr., but nobody would bat an eye if speculation heats up ahead of the NFL Draft.