Contenders like the Kansas City Chiefs are actively burning up the phone lines for receiver help, and Brian Thomas Jr. has been sitting right in the splash zone.
Up until now, Jacksonville wouldn’t even pick up the phone. But according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jaguars have quietly shifted gears. They’re finally warming up to moving their young wideout if someone ponies up a massive return.
Adam Schefter Hints at Jaguars Softening Stance on Brian Thomas Jr. Trade
“Halloween and the trade deadline, very scary time. But we’ve been talking about players to watch, but if there’s a position to watch, it’s the wide receivers,” Schefter said on NFL on ESPN.
“Brian Thomas Jr. It seems like the Jaguars are warming to the idea of trading a player they never wanted to trade before.”
Schefter’s latest word directly coincides with what one rival NFL exec told The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones.
“The Jacksonville Jaguars remain firm with teams that they won’t deal WR Brian Thomas Jr,” Jones wrote, to which the rival executive argued, “Yes they would.”
The latest Jeffery Simmons deal made it clear that at the right price, the teams would eventually want ot hear pitches. The Titans were bent on not sending Simmons away anywhere for two seasons, before finally caving in for premium draft capital from the Bears this season.
In fact, the Jaguars were one of the teams that threw in a pitch for Simmons.
The Jags have made it clear at different points of the year that he isn’t going anywhere. But they could change their mind, or a team could send them an offer that GM James Gladstone simply can’t refuse.
If they change their mind, the 2024 first-round pick will have no shortage of suitors, or receiver-needy teams ready to overpay.
Jaguars Have Only So Much Time to Make a Decision
“BTJ caught two passes the entire month of October and would likely net Jacksonville a Day 2 pick if the team deals him,” Jones writes.
The Chiefs clearly need WR help, and they are the one team everyone believes will call the Jacksonville front office. Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton are both injured. There is a possibility that Thornton will be back for the playoffs, but even with that possibility, the Chiefs need another WR.
“They have been calling around, and I don’t think it would be a surprise to see them continue to attempt to add a wide receiver before the trade deadline two weeks from tomorrow,” Schefter told Pat McAfee last week. “Whether they can get it done, we’ll see.”
The Jaguars are walking a tightrope here, but they still need to make a decision now. They’re competing for a postseason spot, so handing a talent like Thomas Jr. over to an AFC contender is a massive risk.
But holding onto a receiver who isn’t clicking in your system and watching his snap count dwindle doesn’t make sense either. If he goes to Kansas City and turns into a star, the Jaguars’ front office will never live it down. But keeping him on the bench while his trade value drops might be even worse.
Jaguars Reconsider Brian Thomas Jr. Trade Stance Before Deadline: Report