Back at the 2025 trade deadline, speculation about Brian Thomas Jr. was rampant. The noise didn't stop in the offseason, but the Jacksonville Jaguars made it abundantly clear that any suggestion they planned to move it was fraudulent. The chatter has died down considerably since then, as head coach Liam Coen has doubled down on the team's support for the third-year receiver.
It's also helped that Thomas had a strong offseason program, and he's now in a position to once again be a difference-maker for Jacksonville. Nevertheless, that isn't stopping an NFL analyst from believing he could be available via trade.
The Jaguars are being urged to trade Brian Thomas Jr. (but it doesn't make sense)
Cooper Klienberg of Pro Football Network drew up a list of five trade candidates. He included Brian Thomas Jr., arguing that he may be expendable because the Jaguars also have Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, and Travis Hunter.
"Between Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, and Travis Hunter, the Jaguars already seem to have a plan in place for their wide receiver group," Klienberg wrote. "This same unit produced at an extremely high level last year under first-year head coach Liam Coen, and simply put, Brian Thomas Jr. wasn't a focal piece of it."
On the other hand, Klienberg believes that Thomas has the talent to turn into a star wide receiver.
"Then again, as he showcased during his rookie season, Thomas has all the tools a star wide receiver could possess. He's a strong route runner, can win in all three areas of the field, has a great run-after-the-catch ability, and outside of a few crucial drops last season, has shown reliable hands," Klienberg said.
This leads Kleinberg to believe that Jacksonville is better off trading the 2024 first-round pick to a team that can get the most out of him in return for a Day 2 pick.
There's a lot to unpack here. There's no denying that Thomas suffered a steep drop-off last year, catching a measly 48 passes for 707 yards with two touchdowns after registering nearly 1,300 yards receiving with 10 touchdowns as a rookie. However, the reasons that make him an intriguing trade candidate are the same reasons the Jags won't be listening to offers anytime soon.
Thomas' biggest strength is his deep-threat capabilities, and his run-after-the-catch skills can put opposing defenses in a bind, without a doubt. Having said that, the former LSU Tiger didn't just have a few drops. He outright struggled to hold onto the football and had the dubious distinction of leading the team in that area in 2025.
Moreover, Thomas isn't a great route runner, at least not at this stage of his career. He had trouble running crossing and in-breaking routes last year.
But despite his flaws, the Jaguars are confident that Thomas Jr. can turn into a game-changer again. For his part, he's put in the work to cut down on drops and become a better route runner. It's also worth noting that No. 7 is now healthy after dealing with hand and ankle injuries last year.
When you add it all up, Thomas has a better chance of crossing the 1,000-yard mark with the Jaguars in 2026 than getting traded.
Why the Jaguars aren't interested in trading Brian Thomas Jr.
The Jaguars have a surplus at receiver, but that doesn't mean that they're planning on trading Brian Thomas Jr. Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers have better hands than him, but neither has his vertical speed.
Similarly, Thomas has team-friendly cap hits of $3.9 million and $4.6 million next in 2026 and 2027, respectively. Maybe if he struggles in the upcoming season, the team's brass could revisit his situation, but the Walker, Louisiana native is trending toward recapturing the form he had as a rookie, and if he once again becomes that player, it wouldn't make sense to trade him, even if a team offered a first-round pick.
After his underwhelming 2025, it was understandable to see Brian Thomas Jr. at the center of trade speculation earlier this year. However, the Jaguars' trust in him didn't waver, and he's wasted no time proving why they refused to shop him around.
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