Brian Thomas Jr. and Marvin Harrison Jr. have a shocking amount of overlap.
Both were star wide receivers as rookies — BTJ even better for the Jacksonville Jaguars than MHJ was for the Arizona Cardinals.
Both took a step back in their second seasons, with odd struggles with drops showing up for both top-10 picks from the 2024 NFL Draft.
And now both are in the midst of brutal 2026 seasons. Neither looks like the player they were as rookies, but it’s hard to imagine that either of them lost the talent they had. Something else is throwing both of them off.
Now the reasons behind their struggles might not be the same at all, but there’s at least a chance the outcome is.
Reports have indicated that the Cardinals are set to trade Harrison this week, although a destination hasn’t been reported yet.
Thomas has been in the rumor mill for a while, and if he’s not careful, he might have that same outcome.
Why Jaguars Would Trade Brian Thomas Jr.
The reality is that if the Jags could get good value back for BTJ, it could make him worth dealing.
A Harrison deal will likely set the price — and given pedigrees, Jacksonville could ask for nearly as much as a team gave up for Harrison.
Jacksonville would still have Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, Travis Hunter and rookie Josh Cameron to play wide receiver, so the Jags wouldn’t be set back too much at that position.
And for whatever reason, Thomas no longer fits into the largest parts of the Jaguars’ plans. Maybe a change of scenery would do him good.
Differences With Marvin Harrison Jr. Trade
There is a big difference here for Jacksonville, though, and it’s less about Thomas and more about their team as a whole.
The Jaguars are a team capable of making a run toward the Super Bowl. The Cardinals are not.
That means that the Cardinals can focus solely on draft picks and future assets for Harrison.
If the Jaguars were to trade Thomas, they’d likely want players who could help them right now. And a team trading for Thomas would potentially be a contender also, so that might be hard to make work.
The best outcome for Thomas might be a trade to a team like the Miami Dolphins, who are 0-4 and would solely want to build for the future. They could trade the Jags both present and future assets, and it certainly wouldn’t hurt the Dolphins to give up a solid present contributor, but it could definitely help Jacksonville.
Certainly keep your eyes on an MHJ trade, because that could definitely inform what a BTJ trade could look like.
Brian Thomas Jr. Trade Rumors: Jaguars WR Could Follow Marvin Harrison Jr.