Up until their Week 8 kickoff vs. the Colts, the deadline chatter around Brian Thomas Jr. made total sense. The Jacksonville Jaguars weren’t getting much out of him, and rival front offices were ready to buy low.
But Brian Thomas Jr. blew up that entire narrative the very first chance he got this Sunday, and Trevor Lawrence was right there to help him shut the chatter off.
Trevor Lawrence Connects to Brian Thomas Jr. for a Massive TD
Trevor Lawrence capped off a 12-play, 98-yard march by connecting with Brian Thomas Jr. on third down for an early 7–0 lead in the opening drive. It was only BTJ’s second trip to the end zone all year, but it couldn’t have come at a better time.
The Jaguars kept insisting Thomas Jr. wasn’t on the trade block, but the rumor mill wasn’t buying it.
With zero reason to hold a receiver who wasn’t producing, Jacksonville looked ripe for a deadline move. Then Thomas Jr. stepped on the field against the Colts, capping a 98-yard opening drive with a touchdown that simply gave them a reason to continue holding onto him.
98 yards to pay dirt in our opening drive!
#INDvsJAX on CBS“Everybody’s entitled to their own opinion,” Thomas Jr. told reporters Wednesday when asked about the trade rumors. “I just go out there, do what I do, and just try to go out there and be the best player I can be.”
The Chiefs and Steelers might be aggressively scouting the receiver market for playoff help, but Brian Thomas Jr. had his own business to handle today.
He had a point to prove, and he put it on tape immediately.
Thomas Jr. Shuts Down Jaguars Trade Rumors On-Field
“Everybody goes through adversity,” Thomas told reporters, talking about having zero catches in the last two games. “You’ve just got to keep fighting through it. That’s the only way I know how to get through; just keep fighting through it. And that’s what I’m going to continue to do, keep fighting and keep coming in with a good mindset, keep working hard each and every day at practice. Going out there, doing the little things, trying to be the best that I can be, blocking, doing all the little things, just keep fighting through it.”
Insiders like Jeremy Fowler were openly calling his lack of production under HC Liam Coen a “mystery”. Rival front offices weren’t scouting a broken player. They believed Coen simply wasn’t using BTJ’s skill set, making him the ultimate high-upside buy-low target for teams with established schemes.
On that 12-play, 98-yard opening drive, Coen specifically dialed up a 3rd-down red zone shot to Thomas Jr. Calling his number on 3rd-and-goal directly refutes the idea that the staff doesn’t trust him in clutch situations.
Whether the trade rumors continue, or whether the Jags do end up trading away Thomas Jr. even after the TD, remains to be seen.
Brian Thomas Jr.’s 98-Yard Opening Drive TD vs. Colts Instantly Silences Jaguars Trade Rumors