The Jacksonville Jaguars likely could’ve gotten a solid haul in return for a trade for Brian Thomas Jr.
They don’t appear to want to go that route, though, which could be a bummer for teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams, who want a wide receiver, potentially BTJ, before Tuesday afternoon’s deadline.
The latest news on Thomas is that he’s staying put.
This is what ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on X at about 10:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday:
“The Jaguars plan to keep WR Brian Thomas Jr. through the trade deadline, per sources. They have relayed that to interested teams. Coming off multiple big trades Monday, Jacksonville plans to keep its roster intact, barring a surprise.”
Coming off multiple big trades Monday, Jacksonville plans to keep its roster intact, barring a surprise.
This decision by Jacksonville does raise an interesting question, though — Why?
Why would they keep Thomas after so many rumors surrounding him?
There are multiple possible answers, and we can break them down here.
Why Jaguars Aren’t Trading 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.
What Now?
Fowler’s report indicates that the Jaguars might be done.
They got Jessie Bates, Davon Godchaux and Jordan Davis on Monday — that’s a hefty improvement to the defense.
The Jaguars’ offense is already pretty potent, and it remains pretty healthy (knock on wood).
Jacksonville didn’t necessarily need any more trades. Thomas would’ve been a sort of odd luxury move in reverse, and the Jaguars seem to have decided they don’t have any interest in that.
Why Jaguars Aren’t Trading Brian Thomas Jr. to Chiefs, Rams or Anyone in NFL