There’s been a ton of time spent on the idea that the Jacksonville Jaguars will probably trade Brian Thomas Jr. before the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline.
Most of that has been viewed through the lens of BTJ’s struggles with the Jags. He was a star as a rookie after being a top-10 pick but has regressed mightily between last year and now into the first half of this season.
Thomas hit a new low point in Week 6 when he didn’t get a snap in the second half of the Jaguars’ loss to the Houston Texans.
Still, one thing has been missing just a bit from the Thomas dialogue — what could be next for him after a trade?
From a team perspective, the Jaguars will try to maximize value in return and hope they don’t miss Thomas too much once he’s gone.
But for Thomas, this is setting up a potential major opportunity to turn his career around.
Positive Brian Thomas Jr. Trade Outlook
The Athletic’s Mike Jones may not have set out to frame things more positively for Thomas in his latest update on Wednesday, but that’s what he did.
This is what Jones wrote:
“Thomas earned Pro Bowl honors as a rookie after recording 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns. The 2024 first-round pick saw his production dip dramatically last season, and he’s seemingly been phased out of the Jaguars’ offense this fall. Thomas, who has nine receptions for 105 yards and a score, wasn’t even used in the second half of the team’s Week 6 loss to the Texans. Thomas, 24, should have plenty of productive football ahead of him if he finds the right fit.”
The idea that Thomas “should have plenty of productive football ahead of him” hasn’t been talked about a lot.
A player doesn’t have the rookie season that Thomas put up and then totally vanish, at least not very often. He may never reach those heights again, but he can be more useful than he’s being to the Jaguars right now.
Jaguars’ Selling Difficulty
The tricky part for the Jags is the fact that they aren’t really sellers. A 4-2 division leader doesn’t generally trade away a talented third-year receiver.
Thomas falls in a different category, though, as he seems desperately in need of a change of scenery.
That will make the Jaguars a fascinating trade partner depending on who wants Thomas, because the Jags might not just want a future draft pick. They may want a player to help their team right now.
Player trades on a one-for-one scale don’t often happen in the NFL, but maybe that could happen with BTJ.
Jaguars’ Brian Thomas Jr. Given Positive Trade Outlook