The Jacksonville Jaguars are evaluating whether to trade wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. before the NFL’s Nov. 10 trade deadline, according to multiple reports and internal assessments, as his role has diminished sharply through seven games of the 2026 season.
Thomas has 10 receptions for 117 yards and two touchdowns on 21 targets. His 10.8% team target share ranks fourth among Jaguars receivers — behind Parker Washington (24.5%), tight end Brenton Strange (17.9%) and Jakobi Meyers (15.8%). He recorded no receptions in Week 5 — the first zero-catch game of his career — and his touchdown catch against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday was his first reception since Week 4.
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Thomas’ 2024 rookie season stood in stark contrast: 1,282 receiving yards (third in the NFL), 10 touchdowns (tied for sixth), and 132 targets — more than double the next closest teammate. That production occurred amid extensive injuries: quarterback Trevor Lawrence missed seven games, Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis combined for 16 missed games, and Evan Engram landed on injured reserve in Week 15. The Jaguars finished 4-13 and fired head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke.
In 2025, under new head coach Liam Coen and GM James Gladstone, Thomas struggled in a redesigned offense. He dropped five passes in the first five games and lost the WR1 role to Travis Hunter before Hunter suffered a season-ending knee injury. Thomas suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 9 against Las Vegas and missed the next three games. Upon returning in Week 13, his target share fell from 23.4% in the first six games to 15.6% over the final six. He finished the season with 48 catches, 707 yards and two touchdowns — and just one drop after Week 5.
This season, Thomas has not played on special teams, unlike rookie Josh Cameron, who serves as kick returner and plays all four special teams units. With nose tackle DaVon Hamilton sidelined by a torn right quadriceps — a key piece of the Jaguars’ top-ranked run defense — the defensive line is a top trade priority. Thomas could be included in a package for an interior pass rusher.
Coen said last week that Thomas “remains a significant part of the offense” and praised his focus amid external noise. Gladstone dismissed earlier trade rumors as “fraudulent claims.” Teammate Chris Rodriguez Jr. called Thomas “never negative, always positive” and said the locker room doesn’t “worry about social media or what the outside world thinks.”
Thomas’ fifth-year option must be decided by May 2027. If not exercised, he becomes a free agent after the 2027 season — a scenario once unthinkable after his rookie year but now plausible given his trajectory.
Photo: Quintin Soloviev / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
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