The New England Patriots offense doesn’t resemble much of what it was last season when the team won the AFC championship. Quarterback Drake Maye is severely struggling with his top wide receiver A.J. Brown sidelined with injury.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox proposed an immediate potential external solution to the problem — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
On Tuesday, Knox named the Patriots one of five potential trade landing spots for Thomas.
“The New England Patriots should be in panic mode after they were on the receiving end of a Jacksonville Jaguars’ shellacking on Sunday,” wrote Knox.
“The loss dropped the team to 1-2, with the passing offense looking particularly abysmal for the third consecutive week.
“With marquee offseason acquisition A.J. Brown on the shelf with a high-ankle sprain for several more weeks, the Pats shouldn’t hesitate to make a bold trade for Brian Thomas Jr. to shore up the receiving corps.”
Thomas posted 87 catches, 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 17 games as a rookie in 2024. He finished fourth in the Offensive Rookie of the Year award and made the Pro Bowl that season.
Over the past 17 games, though, Thomas has seen his yards per game average drop from 75.4 to 46.8. The decline coincides with the arrival of Jaguars head coach Liam Coen.
Why the Patriots Could Acquire WR Brian Thomas Jr.
The Patriots acquired Brown over the offseason to provide a receiving upgrade. But in Week 1, Brown went down with a high-ankle sprain, which is likely to keep the wideout sidelined for at least another month.
But with the way things are going for the New England offense, the team might not be able to afford to wait that long. The Patriots dropped to 1-2 with a blowout loss Sunday and have an AFC East matchup with the Buffalo Bills in Week 4.
In Thomas, New England could acquire a receiver who appeared to be on his way to being an NFL star just a year ago. The hope also would be Thomas could rekindle his rookie magic outside Jacksonville’s new offense under Coen.
Parker Washington has become the Jaguars top receiver since the start of 2025. This season, Thomas is second on the team in targets, but he only has seven catches for 88 yards in three games.
In New England, Thomas would be the team’s clear-cut WR1 as long as Brown is out. Even when Brown returns, Thomas would remain a starter for New England.
The Patriots would likely have to give up at least a second-round pick for Thomas. But the receiver is still on his rookie contract through 2027 and has a 2028 club option.
Thomas Appears to be Long Shot Target for New England
Pundits have suggested Thomas is a trade candidate for the Jaguars for months. But Jacksonville general manager James Gladstone was pretty clear about the possibility of the wideout getting traded.
“You think back to where we landed at the end of the season, where our passing attack was, we have no interest in disrupting the momentum,” Gladstone said in March.
“We look forward to continuing to build off of where we left things and know that Brian Thomas is a big piece to that puzzle and we don’t want that disrupted at any time.”
Things can obviously change. But Thomas isn’t a slam dunk trade target for any team.
For the Patriots, New England will have to decide before the league’s trade deadline if the team should give up future assets to try and win in 2026.
It’s hard to believe a defending AFC champion wouldn’t already know that answer. But based on how badly the Patriots offense has struggled, it’s not really clear New England will get back on track even with Thomas added to the fold.
If a starting caliber wide receiver becomes New England’s missing piece, a trade for Thomas makes sense. But entering Week 4, the Patriots have a lot of issues on offense.
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