The Jacksonville Jaguars had their chances.
For weeks and months, Brian Thomas Jr. was involved in trade rumors. If the Jags really had wanted to move him, they could’ve. There were suitors, most notably the Kansas City Chiefs.
The NFL trade deadline was Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, which meant that this was the final day in this season in which the Jaguars could trade BTJ.
In the end, the Jaguars made up their mind the way that they had been suggesting they were leaning all along.
Did the Jaguars Trade Brian Thomas Jr?
No, the Jags didn’t trade Brian Thomas Jr. before Tuesday’s deadline.
It had been reported as early as Tuesday morning that the Jaguars had informed other teams they weren’t moving BTJ.
Still, it makes sense to wait it out on these things. Lots can change quickly.
But the deadline came and went, and Thomas didn’t end up going anywhere.
The Chiefs had been interested, but when they couldn’t get BTJ, they got Josh Downs from the Indianapolis Colts instead.
Why Didn’t Jaguars Trade Brian Thomas Jr?
In the end, the very basic premise here is that the Jaguars felt Thomas was more valuable to them on their roster than in what they could get in return in a trade.
There are a few reasons that could be true, and it’s likely a combination of all of them.
For one, Thomas may not have been worth as much in a trade offer as the Jaguars hoped. If the Jags set a cost and no team met it, they didn’t have to trade Thomas. He’s under contract beyond this season. He’s not going anywhere unless the Jaguars want him to.
Two, the Jags clearly decided that even though Thomas isn’t putting up big numbers, he’s doing positive things on the field. Jacksonville does still give him a healthy snap count — it’s just often spent running down the field to clear space for the Jaguars’ Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington and Brenton Strange for completions in the middle of the field.
And third, and maybe the most underrated — if the only teams that wanted Thomas were contenders like the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams, then there’s a case to be made that holding BTJ is wise. If the Jaguars were eventually knocked out of the postseason because of Thomas contributions, that would be a crushing end to this saga.
Jaguars Make Official Brian Thomas Jr. Trade Decision