The Jacksonville Jaguars don’t play on Sunday.
That won’t stop the rest of the NFL from continuing to wonder if and when they’ll trade Brian Thomas Jr.
The clock is ticking, too.
The NFL trade deadline is just two-plus weeks away. The league set it this year for Tuesday, Nov. 10.
That deadline comes after the completion of Week 9. The Jaguars are currently on a bye in Week 7 after their two weeks spent in London.
The bye week came at a good time for the Jags to recharge, particularly after losing their final London game to the Houston Texans in a hard-fought defeat.
But it’s also timed up in a way that will bring BTJ more into the forefront. There are plenty of teams that could certainly use wide receiver help.
The Jaguars have insisted Thomas isn’t going anywhere, and they may hold true to their word. But the speculation from everyone else has suggested Thomas still very much could be traded.
The Jaguars won’t be on the field on Sunday, but Thomas will be on everyone’s mind.
Brian Thomas Jr. Trade Timeline
The reality is that if BTJ is going to be traded, it’ll have to happen in the next 16 days.
The Nov. 10 trade deadline is the final point of the season in which a player can be traded from one team to another. If the Jags are going to move Thomas for some type of return during this season, it has to happen by then.
Whether that’s a helpful timeline or not for Jacksonville remains to be seen. Does it give them enough time to see what they need to get back? Does it give other teams the chance to know just how badly they might need Thomas?
But either way, that’s the timeline. Either Thomas is traded in the next two weeks, or he remains a part of the Jaguars as they try to win the Super Bowl.
Why Jags Would Trade BTJ
Thomas remains on the trade rumor mill in large part because he hasn’t made an impact this season.
He actually didn’t play a snap in the second half of the Week 6 loss to the Houston Texans. He has lost playing time to sixth-round rookie Josh Cameron, while the Jaguars already had Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers moved ahead of Thomas in usage.
With Travis Hunter also making a case for more offensive time, it’s hard to fit in Thomas.
He’s still just two seasons removed from high draft status and a remarkable rookie season, but BTJ hasn’t recaptured that form since then.
Soon, the Jaguars are going to have to make a tough decision one way or another.
Jaguars’ Brian Thomas Jr. Trade Looms on 2-Week Timeline