The Jacksonville Jaguars won't play in Week 8 because they'll have their BYE. But they're the talk of the town because they're reportedly listening to trade offers for wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. At first sight, this a rather puzzling news because the 2024 first-round pick took the NFL by storm in his rookie season. However, he's struggled with drops and hasn't been nearly as productive in Year 2.
Thomas has 27 catches for 365 yards with one touchdown, and his six drops lead the team. Now, there's a chance he will turn the corner at some point in 2025, but given the Jags' track record of trading players that don't fit their vision, nobody will bat an eye if they shop the sophomore wideout.
The New England Patriots would make sense as a potential trade destination for Thomas. The same is true for the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers. That said, there's another club in the AFC that could be a potential fit.
Why the Broncos are a logical trade destination for Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr.
The Denver Broncos could use help at wide receiver, and as Benjamin Allbright of KOA Colorado recently noted on Twitter, head coach Sean Payton has a history of making trades to bolster the position.
For the sake of transparency, Allbrigth said on a different post that he doesn't think Denver would trade for a receiver who lines up in the same spot as Courtland Sutton. That said, the prospect of acquiring a speedster of Thomas' caliber may be too much to pass up.
Why would they want someone that plays the same position as Sutton?
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) October 25, 2025
Simply, the Broncos could use weapons at receiver outside of Sutton. After all, the duo of Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin doesn't precisely instill fear in opposing teams. That said, Denver may not have any potential players that could help the Jaguars. As stated in Dianna Rusinni's original report, they're looking for help on defense. If they traded Thomas to the Broncos, it would have to be a draft pick. More specifically, a first-round selection.
Sure, Thomas is in a funk, but he registered 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns as a rookie, so he's most definitely shown he can produce.
Now, there are no reports indicating that the Broncos are a realistic trade partner for Thomas, but it would most definitely make for intriguing headlines when you take into account that the Jags will face Denver later this season. If these two clubs got a deal done, this would instantly become a must-watch game.
Ultimately, there may be better landing spots for Brian Thomas Jr. if the Jaguars do decide to cut ties with him. However, the prospect of getting a first-round selection shouldn't be ruled out when you caonsider that they like to hoard draft capital.