Back in the offseason, Brian Thomas Jr. was the subject of trade chatter because he left much to be desired in 2025. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars made it clear that he wasn't going anywhere, with general manager James Gladstone going as far as saying that any claims to the contrary were straight-up fraudulent.
True to their word, the Jags kept Thomas around, and he repaid their trust by putting in the work in the offseason to bounce back in 2026. At the time, it looked like No. 7 had put his inconsistency and drops behind him. But fast forward to Week 2, and he's still dealing with the same issues that held him back last year.
Thomas had two key drops in the loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 2. Had he caught both passes, there's a chance that the outcome of the game might have been different. The trouble is that this isn't an outlier, and Jacksonville has been patient thus far, but the team cannot keep giving the 2024 first-round pick chances only for him to squander them.
The Jaguars need to decrease Brian Thomas Jr.'s role moving forward
Two weeks in 2026, Brian Thomas Jr. has caught six passes on 11 targets for 60 yards. His catch rate of 54.5 percent this season isn't very different from the 52.7 percent from last year. Even more frustrating is that Parker Washington is the only Jaguar who has more targets than him in that snap.
Meanwhile, fellow receiver Jakobi Meyers and tight end Brenton Strange have only been targeted three and five times, respectively. Both of them have made the most of their chances, which makes you wonder why they're not getting the ball nearly as much as Thomas.
Similarly, the Jags have a pair of intriguing rookies at receiver in Josh Cameron and CJ Williams. Maybe it's time to give them more opportunities and see what they're capable of doing.
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The Jaguars can no longer expect Brian Thomas Jr. to fix the drops
The Jaguars have been patient with Brian Thomas Jr., and understandably so. He's shown that he can take over games, and his deep-threat capabilities are second to none. However, there's a point at which his talent doesn't justify giving him targets if he's going to waste them.
Following the loss to the Broncos, head coach Liam Coen talked about everyone on the team being accountable. If that's the case, Thomas shouldn't get a substantial workload in the foreseeable future. Instead, he should get limited opportunities. Unless the former LSU Tiger makes the most of them, he should take on a decreased or even backup role moving forward.
Is it a drastic measure? You bet, but Brian Thomas Jr. hasn't done anything to prove to show he deserves a featured role on the offense. Maybe if the Jaguars didn't have so much depth at the position, maybe they would have no option but to lean on him. That's not the case, though, and the team's brass needs to give opportunities to players who are going to take advantage of them.
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