The Jacksonville Jaguars are entering the bye week after their 34-31 loss to the Houston Texans in London. It will be a good time to regroup, but also a delicate time when it comes to handling wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
What the Jaguars do with Thomas coming out of the bye week could significantly impact his trade value, according to John Shipley of Jaguars OnSI.
Shipley notes that after being benched and having two zero-catch performances, the best thing for the Jaguars’ roster is likely to make him inactive.
“There is a real chance that, coming out of the bye, Thomas will be the Jaguars’ fifth wide receiver like he was by the end of the game on Sunday,” wrote Shipley. “And he doesn’t play special teams, like Josh Cameron, or defense, like Travis Hunter. So would it even be worth it to have him as active?”
Hunter only played nine offensive snaps in Week 6, but he did haul in a touchdown reception. If Hunter starts to see more work on offense, Thomas would be behind Hunter, Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, and Josh Cameron.
That makes it hard to justify a roster spot.
Jacksonville Jaguars Could Make Brian Thomas Jr. Inactive
The issue is that the former first-round pick has already seen his value crater in the two years following his breakout rookie campaign. Making him inactive early into his third NFL season, and just a couple of weeks before the trade deadline, would not help them get anything out of Thomas.
The Jags could continue to get nothing out of Thomas, or they can try to package him and get something in return at the trade deadline. Still, that would likely require them to either make a trade before the trade deadline or force him to the ball, which could hurt the team. So, a trade could end up coming soon.
Jaguars Want to Recoup Value for Thomas
The debate over what the team could get in a trade for Thomas is very debatable. On one hand, he struggled through all of the 2025 season and has been even worse this year. He might be inactive this week, and teams might only be offering fliers on him.
On the other hand, the Jags just saw their division rivals, the Houston Texans, trade a second-round pick for Marvin Harrison Jr. Harrison has more draft pedigree than Thomas. Still, Thomas’ rookie season is better than anything Harrison has done in the NFL.
If the Jaguars get offered a second-round pick for a player that they might make inactive, they would have to accept the offer. So, it seems like teams are not giving up the same draft capital for Thomas as they are for Harrison.
Can the Jags find a way to get the right value, or should they sell low now, knowing his value will not increase the rest of the way?
Jaguars Bye Week Could Decide Brian Thomas Jr. Future