Last year, there was chatter that the Jacksonville Jaguars could trade Brian Thomas Jr. at the deadline. Head coach Liam Coen shut down the rumors then, and again once the season was over. emphatically stating that the receiver was 100 percent part of the team's plans moving forward. However, the speculation hasn't stopped.
Thomas continues to be the subject of trade rumors even though Adam Schefter of ESPN said the Jags aren't interested in moving him. It looks like general manager James Gladstone has grown tired of the speculation and has made it clear that the 2024 first-round pick isn't going anywhere.
Any claims of the Jaguars trading Brian Thomas Jr. are fraudulent
On the second day of free agency, James Gladstone met with the local media. He talked about the trade chatter involving Brian Thomas Jr., saying there's no truth to any of it.
"No, we haven't, and there hasn't been a ton of dialogue around that front. It's teams check in, simply because it seems like there's another word reputable came up earlier. I don't think there's been any reputable statement," Gladstone told reporters when asked if the Jags have gotten any offers. (9:21 mark). "We don't have any real action on any of those fronts. And you know, I think you think that where we landed at the end of the season, where our passing attack was."
Gladstone continued, "We have no interest in disrupting the momentum. We look forward to continuing to build off of where we left things and know that Brian Thomas is a big piece to that puzzle, and we don't, we don't want to make sure that that gets disrupted at any time."
Later in the exchange, Gladstone told the press corps that the trade chatter can be "very strange," noting that he's more worried about the weight any fraudulent claims could put on Thomas.
The 24th overall pick in 2024, Thomas played at an extremely high level as a rookie, reeling in 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns. However, he struggled with drops and consistency last year. Couple that with the ascension of Parker Washington and the arrival of Jakobi Meyers, and it's easy to see why teams could think Jacksonville may be willing to trade him.
Why the Jaguars plan to keep Brian Thomas Jr.
If Brian Thomas Jr. has been the focus of trade chatter, it's because he's a game-altering talent. Sure, he's coming off a down year but is still the same player he was when he took the league by storm in 2024. Precisely for that reason, the Jaguars want to hold onto him. It doesn't hurt that he has very manageable cap hits of $4 million and $4.6 million in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
Of course, plans can change at any time, but unless someone makes an offer, James Gladstone cannot refuse (maybe a first-round pick or an early second), it's hard to see Jacksonville trading Brian Thomas Jr.
As James Gladstone stated, the Jaguars hit their stride on offense late in 2025. Imagine just how dominant they can be next season if Brian Thomas Jr. returns to form.