Head coach Liam Coen benching Brian Thomas Jr. for the entire second half against the Houston Texans set off an absolute nuclear reactor of trade rumors. The Jacksonville Jaguars dropped the game, but the focus instantly shifted to Coen being disappointed in Thomas Jr.
“Just week to week,” said Coen on the decision to bench Thomas. “Guys have to step up and make plays.”
It was all the trade market needed to hear to go into overdrive.
His teammates, though, were having none of it. With trade noise spiraling and critics tearing into his slump, both Trevor Lawrence and Travis Hunter immediately stepped up to shield their wideout.
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence has Faith in Brian Thomas Jr.
“I think, for him, just keep playing and let the ball find you,” Lawrence said after the game, when asked about Thomas Jr.’s benching. “I think that’s the big thing is don’t try to chase too much, and obviously we need to get him involved more, and we’re going to need him.”
“This game’s funny. It doesn’t always work exactly how you want it to, and sometimes things can be challenging getting a specific guy touches and involved, and just got to stick with it and the ball will find him,” he said. “It’ll come his way. He’s too good of a player for it not to.”
“So, just keep showing up, and we’re going to get through it.”
The 34-31 loss marked Thomas’s second straight game that he finished without recording any catches. Coen’s patience wore off by the second half, and he handed over Thomas Jr.’s reps to Travis Hunter and rookie Josh Cameron.
Travis Hunter Continues Thomas Jr.’s Defense
Delivering a true two-way sequence in the fourth quarter, Hunter hauled in a touchdown catch from Trevor Lawrence and picked off C.J. Stroud in the end zone on defense. However, that touchdown was so much more than any other touchdown ever in the entire history of the NFL.
With that TD, Hunter became the only player in NFL history to record a receiving touchdown and an interception in the same game. It was a historic moment for Hunter, and yet he went on to laud Thomas Jr.’s efforts and urged him to keep believing in himself.
“I just try to give him motivation,” Hunter said, via Action Sports Jax. “Keep speaking to him; continue to let him know I’m here for him. If he needs me, I’m right here with him. I just continue to uplift him and tell him he could do better.
“No matter the circumstance, no matter the mental space you’re in right now, just continue to believe in yourself. You got to this point by believing in yourself, and continue to just do that.”
As for the rookie, Cameron ended up logging 35 total offensive snaps (more than double BTJ’s 15 first-half snaps).
Thomas Jr. faces a tall order to prove himself to Coen to get any action at all next week. Cameron has impressed so far, and with the Jaguars’ playoff chances at stake after the loss to the Texans, Coen might not want to take any chances at all and continue with the player he trusts.
Until Thomas Jr. pulls it off and puts up numbers that entirely silence the trade chatter, the front office can expect to continue receiving calls.
Jaguars Trevor Lawrence, Travis Hunter Send Strong Message to Brian Thomas Jr. Critics