One of the hottest names on the trade block is Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. However, while many expect him to be moved, NFL Insider Albert Breer does not. Breer hosted his weekly mailbag and made it clear that he does not expect the Jaguars to trade Thomas because of his scheme fit in the offense, despite the lack of production.
“Now, I don’t think the Jags are necessarily looking to move him,” said Breer. “There are a couple of reasons why. Although he hasn’t been all that productive, and he isn’t the greatest fit for their offense, there is a purpose he serves with what they’re trying to do.”
Breer goes on to note that Thomas is essentially a clear-out player who gives the other wide receivers space in the offense.
“They’ve got some guys who are really effective underneath, catching and running, in Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington,” noted Breer. “And having the threat of Thomas out there really helps open things up underneath. So there’s a functional reason why he’s still good to have around for the Jaguars.”
Meyers is up from 1.52 yards per route run in 2025 to 1.64 this season. Meanwhile, Parker Washington is up from 2.19 yards per route run to 2.27 this season.
Jacksonville Jaguars Are Not Interested in Trading Brian Thomas Jr.
Thomas has not been nearly as productive as his teammates, and Josh Cameron and Travis Hunter have started to ascend in the offense. However, Breer notes that these players are more productive because of Thomas being on the field. Beyond that, the team enjoys Thomas as a locker room fit.
“There is also the fact that he’s a good teammate and good soldier,” said Breer on Thomas. “And if he’s looking to get out of there in a weird way, he actually might be doing himself a disservice by being such a good guy.”
Some players will use the media or their locker room antics to drive themselves out of a situation they do not like. This is not the case for Thomas.
Thomas is Not Producing for Jaguars
What complicates the matter is that he’s a former first-round pick, going 23rd overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, he had 1,282 yards. However, in the new offense with Liam Coen, he went from 2.45 yards per route run as a rookie to 1.45 yards per route run in his second NFL season.
Now that his role in the offense is as a space clearer, he is down to 0.96 yards per route run. That is nice to have as a rotational player, but he is a first-round pick, so the Jaguars would like to have more out of him. If a team offers enough value, the role he has can be replaced and team might still move on.
Insider Reveals Jaguars Stance on Brian Thomas Jr.