The Jacksonville Jaguars had the Houston Texans against the ropes in Week 6 but ultimately lost 34-31. While several players stepped up, others failed to come through when the Jags needed them the most. And it's possible that Brian Thomas Jr. was the most disappointing of the bunch.
Thomas was targeted twice in the game. He could've helped his team but failed to deliver in both instances. First, the 2024 first-round pick had a drop in the first quarter that would've given Jacksonville a fresh set of downs. In the other one, he could've put Cam Little in field goal range. the
Rightly, Thomas didn't get a single snap in the second half of the loss. The issue is that he's dealt with drops and inconsistency dating back to last year, and it's fair to wonder whether the organization is running out of patience.
The Jaguars rigthly stopped giving Brian Thomas Jr. playing time
You could make the case that Brian Thomas Jr. wasn't the only Jaguar who had drops against Houston, but he's most definitely the only one who's been having that issue for a while.
For the season, the former LSU Tiger has hauled in a measly nine receptions (good for fourth on the team) for 105 yards on 18 targets. Even worse, his adjusted catch rate of 69.2 percent ranked dead last among wide receivers before Week 6, per Daniel Griffis of Action News Jax. Simply put, he's not helping Jacksonville.
For the sake of comparison, rookie Nate Boerkircher was also targeted twice and caught both passes for eight yards and a touchdown. Simply put, the first-year tight end is making the most of his chances. Thomas isn't.
Following the game, head coach Liam Coen met with the local media. When asked whether he still had trust in Thomas, he simply stated that it was a week-to-week thing, noting that "Guys have to step up and make plays."
That's far from a ringing endorsement. Meanwhile, Coen couldn't stop raving about Travis Hunter's jaw-dropping outing. There was a day-and-night difference.
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The Jaguars can afford to keep Brian Thomas Jr. chances
Short-term, Brian Thomas Jr. deserves to tumble down the depth chart. Josh Cameron has been more productive than him despite the fact that he's logged fewer offensive snaps. On the other hand, the Jags should reconsider their stance and place him on the trade block. They're entering their BYE, so the team's brass will have ample time to ponder the possibility.
At this point, it's hard to picture Thomas getting better. If the Marvin Harrison Jr. trade taught us something is that teams in need of receiver help won't mind giving up top-market compensation for a reclamation project with upside. Thomas fits the bill, and like Harrison, he could benefit from a change of scenery.
The bottom line is that trading Brian Thomas Jr. is the best course of action. He's giving the Jaguars no choice. They keep giving him chances, and he's failed to take advantage of them. It's time they pull the plug on him.
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