Even though the Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs, there's no doubt that the 2025 season was a resounding success. Their 13 wins were the most since 1999, and head coach Liam Coen is a legitimate NFL Coach of the Year candidate. That said, the Jags must now turn their attention to the offseason and get to work.
If Jacksonville wants to return to the playoffs in 2026, the front office will have to choose what to do with players who underachieved last season. Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. certainly fits the bill.
After an electrifying rookie campaign, Thomas dealt with a sophomore slump and has been the subject of trade chatter for months. It's hard to tell if the Jaguars would be willing to cut ties with him, but for the moment, Coen says he'll be part of the team's plans.
Liam Coen expects Brian Thomas Jr. to win games with the Jaguars
Liam Coen, along with general manager James Gladstone, met with the local media and said that Brian Thomas Jr.'s dip in production is understandable when you take into account that he wasn't the only weapon in Trevor Lawrence's arsenal.
"Yeah, I think you point to wins and losses as really what comes down to, and when you're a part of a team that wins, typically, that wealth is shared," Coen told reporters (12:05 mark). "And so it's never truly going to be about one player, I continue to pour into every single one of these guys, as will Edgar Bennett and as will Grant and as will our entire staff to continue to pour into guys to try to get the most out of them, to help our team win as many games as humanly possible, and BTJ will 100% be a part of that."
For context, Thomas hauled in 48 receptions for 707 yards with two touchdowns just one year after catching 82 passes for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns. The dip is evident, but the surplus of options at receiver wasn't the only reason his production was down.
Thomas struggled with drops early in the season, so he truly didn't take advantage of the opportunities he got. To make matters worse, an ankle injury forced him to miss three games. By the time the 2024 first-round pick got back onto the field, Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers had earned a bigger target share.
Related: 5 players who definitely won't return to Jacksonville in 2026
The Jaguars need to decide what to do with Brian Thomas Jr.
Liam Coen isn't going to outright reveal the team's offseason strategy or say that the Jaguars are actively shopping Brian Thomas Jr. Granted, there are no signs they're doing that as of this writing, but it wouldn't be shocking to see them entertain offers. After all, receiver isn't currently a need, but the team's brass needs to bolster other positions.
By trading Thomas, the front office could use whatever compensation it gets to address the larger scale roster. It would also bring clarity to a receiver room that includes Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, and Travis Hunter, who'll continue to play two ways in 2026.
Of course, the Jags may want to give Thomas a legitimate chance to bounce back, but if he falters, general manager James Gladstone has shown that he's not afraid to ship underachievers out of town.
Ultimately, Liam Coen's remarks might not have been enough to put to rest questions about Brian Thomas Jr.'s future with the Jaguars, so expect the chatter to continue throughout the offseason.