The Jacksonville Jaguars have supported Brian Thomas Jr. through his ups and downs but might have run out of patience when he had two drops in Week 6. Understandably, he was benched in the second half of the 34-31 loss to the divisional foe Houston Texans.
Regarding the decision to keep Thomas on the sidelines, head coach Liam Coen limited himself to saying that he needs to step up. He didn't, which wouldn't be an issue if his Week 6 showing was an outlier, but it isn't. The 2024 first-round pick has dealt with inconsistency and drops dating back to last year.
And while the Jags have stated that they have no interest in trading Thomas, a local voice believes he's left them no choice.
The Jaguars need to cut ties with Brian Thomas Jr.
Hays Carlyon answered questions from fans a few days after the Week 6 loss to Houston. He says the Jaguars need to move on from Brian Thomas Jr., noting that he's actively hurting them when he's on the field.
"In regards to Brian Thomas Jr., you know we've talked a lot about this on Duval Rundown. I mean, been pretty outspoken about it. I thought the writing has been on the wall for a while," Carlyon said (4:04 mark). Now, he had a good camp. He had a good offseason, and you were hoping, but we all knew the real litmus test would be when the season started. And he's just not a contributor. If anything, more often than not, he is hurting them on the field so much that they benched him.
Carlyon continued, "He didn't play in the second half. Obviously had to drop on the first drive. Can't happen. Had an opportunity right before the half to make a nice play on the sideline. Couldn't make it. So yeah, I mean, I'm a huge fan of Josh Cameron. I think they found a hidden gem with the sixth-round rookie. And at this point, you gotta you gotta move off of Brian Thomas Jr."
Later in the podcast, Carlyon states that he would be thrilled if Jacksonville can get a fourth-round pick in return for Thomas, noting that he doesn't believe teams will fork out a second like the Texans did for Marvin Harrison Jr. because Harrison was a more highly-touted prospect coming out of college and he was younger.
That said, there are plenty of clubs in need of wide receiver help. That could drive up Thomas' price. The Las Vegas Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs would be realistic landing spots, but if the Jags don't want to send him to an AFC club that will also be competing for a roster spot, the Los Angeles Rams, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Washington Commanders could be legitimate trade destinations.
The Commanders, in particular, could be an intriguing spot in light of Terry McLaurin's season-ending injury because Thomas would be reunited with Jayden Daniels, his quarterback at LSU.
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The Jaguars may have no choice but to move on from Brian Thomas Jr.
The truth is that it's hard to see Brian Thomas Jr. get back on track in Duval. It's hard to tell what's wrong with him, but talent, or lack thereof, isn't the reason. After all, he's still the same receiver who reeled in 82 catches for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns as a rookie.
But for some reason, the Walker, Louisiana native hasn't been able to thrive under the regime that took over in 2025. He probably won't, so at this point, a fresh start or a change of scenery would be the best course of action.
In the end, the Jaguars deserve credit for sticking with Brian Thomas Jr. and not giving up on him. However, there's a point at which they have to cut their losses and acknowledge that it just won't work out. That moment is now, before the November 10 trade deadline.
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